ERIC Number: EJ826045
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2007
Pages: 7
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1931-7913
EISSN: N/A
The Value of Animations in Biology Teaching: A Study of Long-Term Memory Retention
O'Day, Danton H.
CBE - Life Sciences Education, v6 n3 p217-223 Fall 2007
Previous work has established that a narrated animation is more effective at communicating a complex biological process (signal transduction) than the equivalent graphic with figure legend. To my knowledge, no study has been done in any subject area on the effectiveness of animations versus graphics in the long-term retention of information, a primary and critical issue in studies of teaching and learning. In this study, involving 393 student responses, three different animations and two graphics--one with and one lacking a legend--were used to determine the long-term retention of information. The results show that students retain more information 21 d after viewing an animation without narration compared with an equivalent graphic whether or not that graphic had a legend. Students' comments provide additional insight into the value of animations in the pedagogical process, and suggestions for future work are proposed. (Contains 3 figures and 2 tables.)
Descriptors: Animation, Retention (Psychology), Long Term Memory, Biology, Science Instruction, Questionnaires, Student Reaction, Cytology, Undergraduate Students, Individual Development, Evaluation, Tutorial Programs, Biological Sciences
American Society for Cell Biology. 8120 Woodmont Avenue Suite 750, Bethesda, MD 20814-2762. Tel: 301-347-9300; Fax: 301-347-9310; E-mail: ascbinfo@ascb.org; Website: http://www.ascb.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: Teachers
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A