A Theoretical Analysis of How Segmentation of Dynamic Visualizations Optimizes Students' Learning
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This article reviews studies investigating segmentation of dynamic visualizations (i.e., showing dynamic visualizations in pieces with pauses in between) and discusses two not mutually exclusive processes that might underlie the effectiveness of segmentation. First, cognitive activities needed for dealing with the transience of dynamic visualizations impose extraneous cognitive load, which may hinder learning. Segmentation may reduce the negative effect of this load by dividing animations into smaller units of information and providing pauses between segments that give students time for the necessary cognitive activities after each of those units of information. Second, event segmentation theory states that people mentally segment dynamic visualizations during perception (i.e., divide the information shown in pieces). Segmentation of dynamic visualisation could cue relevant segments to students, which may aid them in perceiving the structure underlying the process or procedure shown.
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The transient information effect provides a possible explanation why some forms of user-interactivity, segmentation, and attention cueing improve the effectiveness of animations.
“The transient information effect provides a possible explanation why some forms of user-interactivity (for an overview see, Wouters et al. 2007), segmentation (for an overview see, Spanjers et al. 2010), and attention cueing (for an overview see, De Koning et al. 2009) improve the effectiveness of animations.”
From An Evolutionary Upgrade of Cognitive Load Theory: Using the Human Motor System and Collaboration to Support the Learning of Complex Cognitive Tasks (2012) · cites this paper as Spanjers et al. 2010
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Flagged first, then by citations
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A Meta-analysis of the Segmenting Effect
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- Authors
- Spanjers, I. A. E., van Gog, T., & van Merriënboer, J. J. G.
- Affiliations
- Maastricht University (NL)
- Corresponding author
- Spanjers, Ingrid A. E.
- Venue
- Educational Psychology Review
- Published
- 2010-05-13
- Volume
- 22
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 411-423
- ISSN
- 1040-726X (ISSN-L)
- 1573-336X
- OpenAlex
- W2153014152
- Cited by
- 157
- References
- 60
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 11 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 10
- FWCI
- 12.07
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by-nc
- Locations
- Educational Psychology Review (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- EUR Research Repository (Erasmus University Rotterdam) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- EUR Research Repository (Erasmus University Rotterdam) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- RePub (Erasmus University Rotterdam) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Research Publications (Maastricht University) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- DSpace (Open University in the Netherlands) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- DSpace (Open University in the Netherlands) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Research Publications (Maastricht University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Funders
- Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Visual and Cognitive Learning Processes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Innovative Teaching and Learning Methods
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition › Data Visualization and Analytics
- Keywords
- dynamic visualization, animation, cognitive load, event segmentation theory, visual perception
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