The Effects of Signals on Learning from Text and Diagrams: How Looking at Diagrams Earlier and More Frequently Improves Understanding

摘要

In an eye tracking study 3.5 students learned about the functioning of the heart. In a no-signals condition, a text and diagram were presented in an unaltered fashion. In the signals-condition, correspondences between the representations were highlighted by means of labels, color coding, and deixis. The signals improved understanding of the correspondences between verbal and diagrammatic information as well as led to more attention being devoted to the diagrams. Moreover, diagrams were fixated earlier in the signals- compared to the no-signals condition. A mediation analysis showed that the changes in visual attention were sufficient to completely explain the effect of signals on learning outcomes. Hence, signals improve learning from text and diagrams by fostering learners' early reference to diagrams and by increasing the amount of attention devoted to them.