An Experimental Study of Animation, Mathematics Achievement, and Attitude Toward Computer-Assisted Instruction

Abstract

Animation has been used in instruction for many years. However, recent advances permit the creation of desktop animations by a wider range of instructors. In order to understand the effects of animation on student learning and student reaction to it, an experimental study was conducted. A one-hour lesson on the 10th-grade mathematics topic of construction of triangles using a compass was developed in three instructional formats: (a) text only, (b) text plus static graphics, and (c) text plus animation. One hundred seventy four undergraduate elementary education majors were divided into high and low math achievement levels based on a pretest and randomly assigned to one of the three instructional groups. On a test designed to measure ability to construct triangles and identify trigonometric concepts, the animation group scored 21% and 35% higher than the graphics and text group, respectively. The graphics group scored higher than the text-only group. Attitude toward learning from CAI was equivalent for the animation and graphics group and was higher than for the text-only group. It is concluded that when animation is used to present content and is directly related to the objectives of learning, substantial gains in learning are possible, and students like it better than textual presentations.