Is contextual animation needed in multimedia learning games for children? An eye tracker study

Abstract

The present study investigates affective‐motivational, attention, and learning effects of unexplored emotional design manipulation: Contextual animation (animation of contextual elements) in multimedia learning game (MLGs) for children. Participants (N = 134; Mage = 9.25; Grades 3 and 4) learned either from an experimental version of the MLG with a high amount of contextual animation or from an identical MLG with no contextual animation (control). Children strongly preferred (χ2 = 87.04, p < .001) and found the experimental version more attractive (p < .001, d = −1.11). No significant differences in overall enjoyment and learning outcomes were found. Attention differences, measured by dwell times and fixation durations, were small and reached only borderline significance (p = .035; d = −0.39). The implication is that contextual animation in MLG for children increases such instructional materials' attractiveness without compromising cognitive processes needed for learning; however, it does not lead to their higher instructional efficiency.

A systematic review of emotional design research in multimedia learning

“…In the reviewed studies, seductive details were mostly found to be the factor differentiating cognitive processing of multimedia information. Eye-tracking metrics contribute to emotional design studies in terms of providing objective data beyond the data collected as self-reports with scales and tests (Javora et al, 2021).…”

To Quiz or to Shoot When Practicing Grammar? Catching and Holding the Interest of Child Learners: A Field Study

“…Thus, the actual effect of game-derived enjoyment, or similar affective-motivational construct, on time-on-task was examined insufficiently. For example, a series of lab studies suggested that better-looking artistic design for a children’s educational game increased preference for interfacing with the better-looking game version, but not learning outcomes when the time-on-task was fixed ( Javora et al, 2019 , 2021a , b ). The studies were inconclusive though with regards to the following question: what would happen had the children been allowed to learn from the game as long as they would have liked?…”