Does personalization matter? The role of social cues in instructional explanations

摘要

Personalization (i.e., addressing the learner personally by the formulation of instructional explanations) is an important motivational factor when learning with animations in computer-based settings [11]. We analyzed this method by teaching the complex subject of the circulatory system in a computer-based learning environment with narrated graphics lasting approximately 12 min. We experimentally compared three conditions (n = 59 students) that differed with respect to whether and how the narrations were personalized: (1) formal text using third-person constructions, (2) weak personalized text using the pronouns "you" and "I" and their associated possessive forms rather than the third-person constructions, and (3) strong personalized text that included the weak personalization and additional direct comments to the learner. We found that personalization fostered the acquisition of transfer knowledge compared to the formal control condition, but retention performance was not affected. The variation of the intensity of personalization, however, had no influence on learning outcome. The groups also did not differ in their acceptance of the learning environment.