Interference as a tool to achieve conceptual understanding of chemistry

Previous research on Multiple External Representations (MER) has found that sequencing representations can increase deep conceptual understanding if interference between internal and external representations takes place. We tested sequencing by presenting scientific and abstract representations to 133 learners with low prior knowledge of the represented domain. Results give insight into three separate mechanisms on learning with MER. (1) A memory (number of ideas reproduced) and an (2) accuracy (correctness of these ideas) effect occur when two representations are presented in a sequence and an accuracy and a (3) redundancy (number of redundant ideas remembered) effect occurs when three representations are presented in a sequence.status: publishe