Learning from Multiple Representations: Extending Multimedia Learning Beyond the Lab 22 Learning from Multiple Representations: Extending Multimedia Learning Beyond the Lab

Students learned about cell phones by using 18 information cards to complete three homework tasks. Students in the single representation (SR) group received cards that presented all information as printed text. Students in the multiple representation (MR) group received the same information, but each card contained either printed text or an informationally equivalent graphic such as a chart or graph. Students in the MR group performed better than students in the SR group on the accuracy of their homework answers and on the number of cards used during working on the homework tasks. On a subsequent posttest, students in the MR group performed better than students in the SR group both on retention items and transfer items. Homework performance scores were correlated with posttest scores for the MR group but not the SR group. Overall, the results are consistent with the idea that students learn better from multiple representations than from text only, thereby extending multimedia learning principles beyond the lab. Theoretical Framework The meaning of information in a multiple-representation (MR) display is driven from the different contributions of both its visual and textual components, each with its various functions due to specific features (Ainsworth, 1999). Cumulative findings suggest that learning with MRs is characterized by