Finger pointing to self‐manage cognitive load in learning from split‐attention examples

Abstract

We investigated whether finger pointing can be used as a cognitive load selfmanagement strategy when learning from split-attention examples. We expected that pointing would reduce cognitive load and enhance learning performance. In a guided selfmanagement phase, 122 university students studied a split-attention example under three pointing conditions (i.e., no pointing, one-handed pointing, two-handed pointing) or an integrated example without pointing. In the subsequent unguided self-management phase, all students studied a new split-attention example without pointing instructions. Results on retention and comprehension tests and self-ratings of cognitive load after studying each split-attention example revealed no differences between conditions. An exploratory analysis of pointing movements in the unguided self-management phase revealed that participants who frequently pointed outperformed those who barely pointed on the comprehension test in this phase. Our findings provide some suggestive evidence for the effectiveness of pointing as a self-management strategy in the learning from split-attention examples.

Effects of finger and mouse pointing on learning from online split‐attention examples

“…Results showed that students who spontaneously used pointing in studying the novel split-attention example performed significantly better on comprehension test than those who did not point (d = .41). A pilot study of these authors using the same Biology materials in A3-size paper also showed that when students could choose their preferable way of pointing (instead of being instructed to point in a specific way as was the case in Zhang et al, 2022) in the pointing condition performed better on a recall test (d = .67) than those who did not point. Among all the above studies, only one study (Sithole et al, 2017) indicated that students who used a self-management strategy perceived lower cognitive load than those who did not (d = 1.99-3.90) during learning and in the tests.…”

“…Self-management strategies aim to help learners mentally integrate the spatially separated information in order to reduce the extraneous cognitive load (Sweller et al, 2019;Zhang et al, 2021). Four self-management strategies have been studied: signalling with external tools (build a link between the multiple information sources by circling, highlighting and drawing arrows, e.g., Sithole et al, 2017), physical integration by dragging and dropping (move the elements from one information source into the other, related information source using a dragging-and-dropping technique with a mouse, e.g., Tindall-Ford et al, 2015), mental integration using imagination (imagine to drag and drop text segments to the corresponding position in diagram, e.g., De Koning et al, 2020aKoning et al, , 2020b and finger pointing (e.g., Zhang et al, 2022). These studies showed mixed results regarding the effectiveness of self-management strategies for learning and cognitive load.…”

“…According to the theoretical assumptions and empirical evidence on the benefits of finger pointing (Paas & Sweller, 2012;Zhang et al, 2022), we expected that students in the finger pointing condition would obtain higher retention and comprehension test scores and report lower cognitive load than students in the non-pointing condition (Hypothesis 1). Because people nowadays are used to pointing with the mouse in online environments, and theoretical and empirical evidence supported a similar effectiveness of virtual manipulation and physical manipulation (Du & Zhang, 2019;Schettler et al, 2019), we expected that students in the mouse pointing condition would also obtain higher retention and comprehension test scores and report lower cognitive load than students in the non-pointing condition (Hypothesis 2).…”

“…Corresponding to Hypothesis 2, we expected no difference between the finger pointing condition and the mouse pointing condition (Hypothesis 3). In addition, based on the previous studies on the finger pointing strategy (Zhang et al, 2022), using two hands (one hand to point on the text and one hand to point on the diagram) is the most common way learners chose when they learnt from split-attention examples. From the perspective of ecological validity, the finger pointing strategy and mouse pointing strategy are more similar with only one hand involved in the present study.…”

“…A more recently introduced strategy, which can be used by learners themselves to learn more effectively from split-attention materials, is the use of finger pointing to connect related information in the text and graphics (Zhang et al, 2022). Prior research has shown the potential effectiveness of pointing that learners can use to support mental integration with split-attention examples.…”