As part of my current EDUC: course, I
am researching journals and websites for information on the brain and
learning. One article I came across in
the British Journal of Education Technology drew me in because it was a study
on the effects of multimedia on problem solving. It is actually a study on cognitive load,
self-efficacy, and multiple rule based problem solving based on Engelkamp’s
multimodal theory, but it was the problem solving piece that really intrigued
me. Why?
I have often been challenged to come up with a curriculum that teaches
our employees to be better problem solvers.
In this study, 222 college students participated in either interactive or non-interactive learning groups to solve a multiple rule based problem. The problem to solve showed a visual diagram of an airport with several gates and several different colored planes that had to be gated but had rules around where each could be gated, for example the red plane can’t be gated at A or C, and can’t be next to the blue plane but can be next to the yellow plane.
The key difference was that one group
had the ability to pick up the different colored planes and physically move
them around the diagram. The group that was able to do this did much
better than the group that could not move the pieces around. The study also showed by surveying the
participants that cognitive load was reduced in the first group and their
feeling of being successful was increased.
The study concluded that providing learners with this type of ability in
multimedia presentations, all of these factors would facilitate their problem
solving.
One thing about the study that sort of
bugged me was that neither group was allowed to use pencil or paper to help
them figure out the complex problem.
If the second group had pencil and paper, perhaps it would have allowed
them to visualize and deduce their answers similar to the group that could move
the planes around. Perhaps not as
quickly, but cognitive load would likely be reduced. This is valuable information for me as an instructional
designer. Creating a simulated model
that allows the learners to ‘move’ things around will help them problem solve.
I also came across an article on Huntington’s disease at the National
Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) website. I have never heard of this disease but
because the symptoms can show up as impairments to cognitive functions, I
wanted to familiarize myself. What often starts out as changes in handwriting,
progresses to affect concentration. For
those affected, intellectual tasks may become increasingly difficult. Often, it will begin during middle age;
however there are cases where it affects individuals before the age of 20. There can be a rapid decline in school
performance. It is a genetic disease
passed on by parent (father) to child. Sometimes, but not always emotional
disturbance and motor movement are affected. This article was worthwhile reading and
reminded me that learners come to us with unique circumstances and brain
chemistries. In our roles as
instructors, we have the opportunity to work with individuals and assess their
learning. We should also consider their
learning behaviors and help identify unusual changes. More information can be found on this article
and more about Huntington’s disease at.
http://www.ninds.nih.gov
Zheng, Matthew McAlack, Barbara Wilmes Patty Kohler-Evans and Jacquee Williamson (2008) Effects of multimedia on cognitive load, self-efficacy, and multiple rule based problem solving British
Journal of Educational Technology Vol 40 No 5 2009 790–803 doi:10.1111/j.1467-8535.2008.00859.x
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