Enhancing learning from dynamic and static visualizations by means of cueing.

The current study investigated whether learning from dynamic and two presentation formats for static visualizations can be enhanced by means of cueing. One hundred and fifty university students were randomly assigned to six conditions, resulting from a 2x3-design, with cueing (with/without) and type of visualization (dynamic, static-sequential, static-simultaneous) as independent variables. For transfer tasks, learners receiving dynamic visualizations outperformed learners receiving static visualizations. A main effect in favour of cued visualizations could be observed only for pictorial tasks, but not for transfer tasks. There was no interaction between type of visualization and cueing for any learning outcome measure. Taken together, the study suggests that dynamic visualizations may be beneficial whenever understanding concerning the dynamic features of a domain is crucial to learning. Cueing on the other hand may not necessarily lead to a deeper understanding, but supports to achieve a better comprehension of the depicted visualizations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved) peerReviewed publishedVersion