University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

NARST 2015 Chicago (Wallon)

The Redundancy Principle of Multimedia Learning in a Next Generation Science Classroom: Measuring Learning Outcomes.

Abstract:
Previous research has identified circumstances when eliminating redundant information in instructional multimedia improved learning outcomes in laboratory and workplace settings. The goal of this study is to further clarify the boundaries of the redundancy principle by researching the extent to which it applies in a secondary science classroom context. This study used a pretestposttest design during the enactment of a curriculum unit in three periods of a high school biology class. Fifty students were tested before and after watching either the redundant or nonredundant version of a video clip and at the conclusion of the curriculum unit. Comparison of student scores showed a redundancy effect on measures of retention but no redundancy effect on measures of transfer. This paper discusses implications of measuring student learning outcomes in authentic classroom settings with instruments modeled after those used in laboratory studies. Future research should explore the applicability of the redundancy principle using more authentic measures of transfer that take into account the social context of the classroom.

Robert C. Wallon*. (April 2015). Paper presented at the National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST) Annual International Conference, Chicago, IL. 

*Conference presenters

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