This study examined the effectiveness of educational animations for teaching neurobiology topics both in the classroom and online via social media. In the classroom experiment, students who viewed animations during lectures performed better on exam questions related to the material compared to students who did not view animations. In the online experiment, social media users who viewed animations scored higher on post-tests about the neurobiology topics than those who read text passages, though many users did not complete the full study. The results provide evidence that multimedia animations can improve learning of complex scientific topics both in traditional and online educational settings.
International Journal of Engineering Research and Applications (IJERA) aims to cover the latest outstanding developments in the field of all Engineering Technologies & science.
International Journal of Engineering Research and Applications (IJERA) is a team of researchers not publication services or private publications running the journals for monetary benefits, we are association of scientists and academia who focus only on supporting authors who want to publish their work. The articles published in our journal can be accessed online, all the articles will be archived for real time access.
Our journal system primarily aims to bring out the research talent and the works done by sciaentists, academia, engineers, practitioners, scholars, post graduate students of engineering and science. This journal aims to cover the scientific research in a broader sense and not publishing a niche area of research facilitating researchers from various verticals to publish their papers. It is also aimed to provide a platform for the researchers to publish in a shorter of time, enabling them to continue further All articles published are freely available to scientific researchers in the Government agencies,educators and the general public. We are taking serious efforts to promote our journal across the globe in various ways, we are sure that our journal will act as a scientific platform for all researchers to publish their works online.
Creating Virtual Communities of Practice with the Visual Social Media Platfor...Rochell McWhorter
This paper reports results of a mixed methods study on the use of the visual social media platform Pinterest in the higher education classroom. Research methods included data collection of Pre-Experience and Post-Experience student surveys from two disciplines, Education and Business, regarding students’ experiences using Pinterest for learning. A total of 227 students (189 undergraduate and 38 graduate students) participated in the study. Findings included student attitudes regarding the usability of Pinterest in the classroom setting, student learning and development, and ways Pinterest facilitated the development of a virtual community of practice. Recommendations for future classroom use is given. Note: This is the last author’s copy prior to publishing. The final, definitive version of this article has been published in International Journal of Social Media and Interactive Environments, 2(3). Available at http://www.inderscience.com/offer.php?id=64205
International Journal of Engineering Research and Applications (IJERA) aims to cover the latest outstanding developments in the field of all Engineering Technologies & science.
International Journal of Engineering Research and Applications (IJERA) is a team of researchers not publication services or private publications running the journals for monetary benefits, we are association of scientists and academia who focus only on supporting authors who want to publish their work. The articles published in our journal can be accessed online, all the articles will be archived for real time access.
Our journal system primarily aims to bring out the research talent and the works done by sciaentists, academia, engineers, practitioners, scholars, post graduate students of engineering and science. This journal aims to cover the scientific research in a broader sense and not publishing a niche area of research facilitating researchers from various verticals to publish their papers. It is also aimed to provide a platform for the researchers to publish in a shorter of time, enabling them to continue further All articles published are freely available to scientific researchers in the Government agencies,educators and the general public. We are taking serious efforts to promote our journal across the globe in various ways, we are sure that our journal will act as a scientific platform for all researchers to publish their works online.
Creating Virtual Communities of Practice with the Visual Social Media Platfor...Rochell McWhorter
This paper reports results of a mixed methods study on the use of the visual social media platform Pinterest in the higher education classroom. Research methods included data collection of Pre-Experience and Post-Experience student surveys from two disciplines, Education and Business, regarding students’ experiences using Pinterest for learning. A total of 227 students (189 undergraduate and 38 graduate students) participated in the study. Findings included student attitudes regarding the usability of Pinterest in the classroom setting, student learning and development, and ways Pinterest facilitated the development of a virtual community of practice. Recommendations for future classroom use is given. Note: This is the last author’s copy prior to publishing. The final, definitive version of this article has been published in International Journal of Social Media and Interactive Environments, 2(3). Available at http://www.inderscience.com/offer.php?id=64205
STUDENT’S ATTITUDES TOWARD INTEGRATING MOBILE TECHNOLOGY INTO TRANSLATION ACT...IJITE
Previous research shows that the integration of mobile phones in the classroom is challenging, but numerous studies have also demonstrated that wireless networks and mobile tools to support collaborative learning improve educational outcomes. This study aims to question the feasibility of replicating their research methodology in Taiwanese classrooms. For this purpose, two conventional classes of second year license degree in Applied Foreign Languages were the respondents. The students’ attitudes were observed and their participation was examined through an interview that revealed the perceptions of their learning experiences. The results of this study show that students, when allowed to use their cell phones according to their own needs in a collaborative learning, become more interested in their learning and can improve their English efficiency more than students in the conventional classroom. It is thus recommended that highly advanced technology be integrated with more flexibility to match students’ learning needs and motivations.
This is the paper written about the project carried out between September 2014 - January 2015 at University of Oulu for the Ubiquitous Computing Fundamentals course.
UbiTeach is a project carried out for the Ubiquitous Computing Fundamentals course at the University of Oulu. UbiTeach is a multi-device interactive application that supports and enhance learning and teaching experiences within a classroom by offering additional means to propose and solve exercises, gain insights and feedbacks about the students. The team went through 7 steps:
- Concept Idea
- Literature survey about the state of the art
- System design
- UI design
- Prototyping
- Evaluation in-the-wild
- Final Report
International Journal of Engineering Research and Development (IJERD)IJERD Editor
journal publishing, how to publish research paper, Call For research paper, international journal, publishing a paper, IJERD, journal of science and technology, how to get a research paper published, publishing a paper, publishing of journal, publishing of research paper, reserach and review articles, IJERD Journal, How to publish your research paper, publish research paper, open access engineering journal, Engineering journal, Mathemetics journal, Physics journal, Chemistry journal, Computer Engineering, Computer Science journal, how to submit your paper, peer reviw journal, indexed journal, reserach and review articles, engineering journal, www.ijerd.com, research journals,
yahoo journals, bing journals, International Journal of Engineering Research and Development, google journals, hard copy of journal
Becta Impact09 data reanalysed: E-maturity and ICT adoption in UK schoolsColin Harrison
EARLI Conference - Munich 2013
Symposium: Educational technology acceptance- Explaining non-significant intention-behavior effects
Full paper title: An e-maturity analysis explains intention-behavior disjunctions
in technology adoption in UK schools
Abstract
This paper addresses the problem of non-significant intention-behavior effects in educational technology adoption, based on a reanalysis of data from the Impact09 project, a UK-government funded evaluation of technology use in high schools in England that had been selected as representing outstanding Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) innovation. The reanalysis focuses on intentionality and teleology, and attempts to combine an ecological perspective with a critical analysis of the intention-behavior correlations among participants, particularly teachers and head teachers. The concept of self-regulation is also considered as a determinant of behavior. The study reports a qualitative analysis of extensive interview data from four schools, and makes use of Underwood’s concept of ‘linkage e-maturity’. Traditional models of technology acceptance often assumed a steady trajectory of innovation, but such studies failed to explain uneven patterns of adoption. In this reanalysis, an emphasis on learning practices and e-maturity, interpreted within local and system-wide ecological contexts, better explained uneven adoption patterns.
Presentation by Colin Harrison, Carmen Tomás, Charles Crook
Using socrative and smartphones for the support of collaborative learningIJITE
The integration of new technologies in the classrooms opens new possibilities for the teaching and learning
process. Technologies such as student response system (e.g. Clicker) are getting popularity among teachers
due to its effects on student learning performance. In this study, our primary objective is to investigate the
effect of Socrative with combination of smartphones on student learning performance. We also observed
the benefits of interactivity between the teacher and the students and among classmates, which positively
influences collaborative learning and engagement of students in the class. We test these relationships
experimentally in a community college class environment using data from a survey answered by students in
information technology associate degree. The results of our study reveal that collaborative learning and
engagement of student in the class improves student learning performance. We highly recommend these
tools in educational settings to support the learning process.
Mobile devices have been the focus of a push in many nations and internationally as part of
efforts to achieve greater literacy and numeracy among students. Research has shown a strong
link between Internet usage, the spread of broadband in a country, and its GDP. Those countries
that are the highest performing educationally already integrate mobile devices in their
education. This paper synthesizes empirical research on mobile devices from 2010 to 2013 in
K-12 schools by focusing on studies that demonstrate emerging themes in this area. It is also
clear that the pedagogy needed to be successful in creating positive outcomes in the use of
technology has to be student-centered with the aim of personalizing the learning experience.
Research found that students could become collaborators in designing their own learning
process. As students become independent learners, they become more prepared in the skills
needed for college and in their careers.
A meta analysis-of_the_effects_of_computer_technology_on_school_students’_mathCathy Cavanaugh
This study examines the impact of computer technology (CT) on mathematics education in K-12 classrooms through a systematic review of existing literature. A meta-analysis of 85 independent effect sizes extracted from 46 primary studies involving a total of 36, 793 learners indicated statistically significant positive effects of CT on mathematics achievement. In addition, several characteristics of primary studies were identified as having effects. For example, CT showed advantage in promoting mathematics achievement of elementary over secondary school students. As well, CT showed larger effects on the mathematics achievement of special need students than that of general education students, the positive effect of CT was greater when combined with a constructivist approach to teaching than with a traditional approach to teaching, and studies that used non-standardized tests as measures of mathematics achievement reported larger effects of CT than studies that used standardized tests. The weighted least squares univariate and multiple regression analyses indicated that mathematics achievement could be accounted for by a few technology, implementation and learner characteristics in the studies.
STUDENT’S ATTITUDES TOWARD INTEGRATING MOBILE TECHNOLOGY INTO TRANSLATION ACT...IJITE
Previous research shows that the integration of mobile phones in the classroom is challenging, but numerous studies have also demonstrated that wireless networks and mobile tools to support collaborative learning improve educational outcomes. This study aims to question the feasibility of replicating their research methodology in Taiwanese classrooms. For this purpose, two conventional classes of second year license degree in Applied Foreign Languages were the respondents. The students’ attitudes were observed and their participation was examined through an interview that revealed the perceptions of their learning experiences. The results of this study show that students, when allowed to use their cell phones according to their own needs in a collaborative learning, become more interested in their learning and can improve their English efficiency more than students in the conventional classroom. It is thus recommended that highly advanced technology be integrated with more flexibility to match students’ learning needs and motivations.
This is the paper written about the project carried out between September 2014 - January 2015 at University of Oulu for the Ubiquitous Computing Fundamentals course.
UbiTeach is a project carried out for the Ubiquitous Computing Fundamentals course at the University of Oulu. UbiTeach is a multi-device interactive application that supports and enhance learning and teaching experiences within a classroom by offering additional means to propose and solve exercises, gain insights and feedbacks about the students. The team went through 7 steps:
- Concept Idea
- Literature survey about the state of the art
- System design
- UI design
- Prototyping
- Evaluation in-the-wild
- Final Report
International Journal of Engineering Research and Development (IJERD)IJERD Editor
journal publishing, how to publish research paper, Call For research paper, international journal, publishing a paper, IJERD, journal of science and technology, how to get a research paper published, publishing a paper, publishing of journal, publishing of research paper, reserach and review articles, IJERD Journal, How to publish your research paper, publish research paper, open access engineering journal, Engineering journal, Mathemetics journal, Physics journal, Chemistry journal, Computer Engineering, Computer Science journal, how to submit your paper, peer reviw journal, indexed journal, reserach and review articles, engineering journal, www.ijerd.com, research journals,
yahoo journals, bing journals, International Journal of Engineering Research and Development, google journals, hard copy of journal
Becta Impact09 data reanalysed: E-maturity and ICT adoption in UK schoolsColin Harrison
EARLI Conference - Munich 2013
Symposium: Educational technology acceptance- Explaining non-significant intention-behavior effects
Full paper title: An e-maturity analysis explains intention-behavior disjunctions
in technology adoption in UK schools
Abstract
This paper addresses the problem of non-significant intention-behavior effects in educational technology adoption, based on a reanalysis of data from the Impact09 project, a UK-government funded evaluation of technology use in high schools in England that had been selected as representing outstanding Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) innovation. The reanalysis focuses on intentionality and teleology, and attempts to combine an ecological perspective with a critical analysis of the intention-behavior correlations among participants, particularly teachers and head teachers. The concept of self-regulation is also considered as a determinant of behavior. The study reports a qualitative analysis of extensive interview data from four schools, and makes use of Underwood’s concept of ‘linkage e-maturity’. Traditional models of technology acceptance often assumed a steady trajectory of innovation, but such studies failed to explain uneven patterns of adoption. In this reanalysis, an emphasis on learning practices and e-maturity, interpreted within local and system-wide ecological contexts, better explained uneven adoption patterns.
Presentation by Colin Harrison, Carmen Tomás, Charles Crook
Using socrative and smartphones for the support of collaborative learningIJITE
The integration of new technologies in the classrooms opens new possibilities for the teaching and learning
process. Technologies such as student response system (e.g. Clicker) are getting popularity among teachers
due to its effects on student learning performance. In this study, our primary objective is to investigate the
effect of Socrative with combination of smartphones on student learning performance. We also observed
the benefits of interactivity between the teacher and the students and among classmates, which positively
influences collaborative learning and engagement of students in the class. We test these relationships
experimentally in a community college class environment using data from a survey answered by students in
information technology associate degree. The results of our study reveal that collaborative learning and
engagement of student in the class improves student learning performance. We highly recommend these
tools in educational settings to support the learning process.
Mobile devices have been the focus of a push in many nations and internationally as part of
efforts to achieve greater literacy and numeracy among students. Research has shown a strong
link between Internet usage, the spread of broadband in a country, and its GDP. Those countries
that are the highest performing educationally already integrate mobile devices in their
education. This paper synthesizes empirical research on mobile devices from 2010 to 2013 in
K-12 schools by focusing on studies that demonstrate emerging themes in this area. It is also
clear that the pedagogy needed to be successful in creating positive outcomes in the use of
technology has to be student-centered with the aim of personalizing the learning experience.
Research found that students could become collaborators in designing their own learning
process. As students become independent learners, they become more prepared in the skills
needed for college and in their careers.
A meta analysis-of_the_effects_of_computer_technology_on_school_students’_mathCathy Cavanaugh
This study examines the impact of computer technology (CT) on mathematics education in K-12 classrooms through a systematic review of existing literature. A meta-analysis of 85 independent effect sizes extracted from 46 primary studies involving a total of 36, 793 learners indicated statistically significant positive effects of CT on mathematics achievement. In addition, several characteristics of primary studies were identified as having effects. For example, CT showed advantage in promoting mathematics achievement of elementary over secondary school students. As well, CT showed larger effects on the mathematics achievement of special need students than that of general education students, the positive effect of CT was greater when combined with a constructivist approach to teaching than with a traditional approach to teaching, and studies that used non-standardized tests as measures of mathematics achievement reported larger effects of CT than studies that used standardized tests. The weighted least squares univariate and multiple regression analyses indicated that mathematics achievement could be accounted for by a few technology, implementation and learner characteristics in the studies.
This poster provides an overview of my DPhil thesis.
Francis, R.J. (2007) The Predicament of the Learner in the New Media Age: an investigation into the implications of media change for learning. Available online from Oxford Research Archive (June 2008) <http: />
Using Visual Aids to Enhance Third Year Undergraduate Teacher Trainee Student...Premier Publishers
There is a plethora of teaching strategies that are espoused by the science teacher to attain his/her lesson objectives. Researchers have over the years found most of these methods, the tactics used by teachers in teaching, to be effective in teaching science concepts to learners. However, research has not ascertained which one teaching strategy is most effective in imparting knowledge to learners. This study seeks to find an appropriate teaching strategy that will arouse the interest and participation of students in the teaching and learning process. Visual aids were employed as the main intervention strategy. A total of one hundred third year undergraduate teacher trainees from the University of Education, Winneba, Ghana constitute the research sample. The participants were put into experimental and control groups. Tests and questionnaires were the main instruments used to collect data for analysis. Data collected were analyzed quantitatively using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, SPSS. The study found that the academic achievement of the students in the experimental group improved tremendously after the intervention, as opposed to that of their counterparts in the control group. The study concludes with the recommendation that visual aids should be used to teach concepts of science that are abstract in nature in order to make the lesson real to the learners.
3. luento tieto- ja viestintätekniikan pedagogiset perusteet: tietokoneavuste...Jari Laru
Luento aiheesta tietokoneavusteinen yhteisöllinen oppiminen. Luennon runkona on käytetty tätä kirjankappaletta: "Dillenbourg, P., Järvelä, S., & Fischer, F. (2009). The evolution of research on computer-supported collaborative learning: from design to orchestration. In Technology-Enhanced Learning. Principles and products (p. 3-19). Edited by N. Balacheff, S. Ludvigsen, T. de Jong, T., A. Lazonder & S. Barnes. Springer.
Zhang,yixin investigating effectiveness of using handheld computers nftej v21...William Kritsonis
NATIONAL FORUM JOURNALS (Founded 1982 (www.nationalforum.com) is a group of national and international refereed journals. NFJ publishes articles on colleges, universities and schools; management, business and administration; academic scholarship, multicultural issues; schooling; special education; teaching and learning; counseling and addiction; alcohol and drugs; crime and criminology; disparities in health; risk behaviors; international issues; education; organizational theory and behavior; educational leadership and supervision; action and applied research; teacher education; race, gender, society; public school law; philosophy and history; psychology, sociology, and much more. Dr. William Allan Kritsonis, Editor-in-Chief.
TOJET The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology.docxMARRY7
TOJET: The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology – January 2011, volume 10 Issue 1
Copyright The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology 183
THE EFFECTS OF THE COMPUTER-BASED INSTRUCTION ON THE
ACHIEVEMENT AND PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS OF THE SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY STUDENTS
Oğuz SERİN
Cyprus International University, Faculty of Education,
Nicosia-North Cyprus
[email protected]
ABSTRACT
This study aims to investigate the effects of the computer-based instruction on the achievements and problem
solving skills of the science and technology students. This is a study based on the pre-test/post-test control group
design. The participants of the study consist of 52 students; 26 in the experimental group, 26 in the control
group. The achievements test on “the world, the sun and the moon” and the Problem Solving Inventory for
children were used to collect data. The experimental group received the computer-based science and technology
instruction three hours a week during three weeks. In the analyses of data, the independent groups t-test was used
at the outset of the study to find out the whether the levels of the two groups were equivalent in terms of their
achievements and problem solving skills and the Kolmogorov-Smirnov single sample test to find out whether the
data follow a normal distribution and finally, the covariance analysis (ANCOVA) to evaluate the efficacy of the
experimental process. The result of the study reveals that there is a statistically significant increase in the
achievements and problem solving skills of the students in the experimental group that received the computer-
based science and technology instruction.
Keywords: Computer-based instruction (CBI), the Science and Technology Course, learning packet,
achievement, problem solving skills, primary education
INTRODUCTION
Great emphasis is placed on the computer-based science and technology laboratories as well as ordinary science
laboratories in the educational curricula of the developed countries. One of the aims of the science and
technology course is to train individuals capable of keeping up the fast developing and changing science world
and capable of utilizing the recent technological discoveries in every field. Researchers have been interested in
revealing the effects of the computer-based instruction, which began to be used with the invention of the
computer, which is one of the most important technological devices of the time.
As a result of the rapid development of the information and communication technology, the use of computers in
education has become inevitable. The use of technology in education provides the students with a more suitable
environment to learn, serves to create interest and a learning centred-atmosphere, and helps increase the
students’ motivation. The use of technology in this way plays an important role in the teaching and learning
process (İşman, Baytekin, Balkan, Horzum, & Kıyıcı, ...
Similar to (figures inserted)Online and In Class Applications of Neurobiological Animations as Advanced Pedagogical Tools (20)
TOJET The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology.docx
(figures inserted)Online and In Class Applications of Neurobiological Animations as Advanced Pedagogical Tools
1. Online and In Class Applications of Neurobiological Animations as Advanced
Pedagogical Tools
Jenny Z. Xu, Nicholas J. Graham, Nina Kang, Tiffany H. Wu, Anish Patel, Bradley S. Hughes
Biological Science and Educational Media Design Program
School of Biology, University of California, Irvine
Abstract
This paper examines the efficacy of an animation tutorial designed to teach neurobiological
topics that were administered through class lecture and social media. The objective was to
create an advanced teaching tool that engages students in a medium that also enables
discussion. Two experiments assess the effectiveness of three animations on neurobiological
learning materials. The first experiment used a set of animations in one of two undergraduate
Neuroscience classes (n = 723). Student exam scores on the related material suggested the
animations were moderately successful in improving student knowledge (p < 0.001). In a
second experiment, a random sample of social media users was exposed to the animation
versus a text excerpt on the same material (n = 156). Results of this experiment indicate a
similar success in raising student ability, although severe issues of attrition arose due to the all-
inclusive nature of this online format (p < 0.001). Overall, this study demonstrates the
effectiveness of multimedia in scientific education, as well as the potential for educational
material to have broad Internet accessibility through social media.
Keywords: animation, neurobiology, social media, education, technology
Introduction
Research shows that traditional teaching practices are difficult to improve upon, yet
advancements in technology have allowed educators to take advantage of more efficient high-
tech teaching tools (Eskicioglu et al., 2003). Among all the pedagogical methods, computer-
assisted teaching showed one of the highest increases in academic success of students (Güzeller,
et. al., 2011). One important contribution to the growth of such new teaching strategies was the
introduction of computer animations (Perry, 2012). Animations that synchronize informative
audio with stimulating visuals appear to be successful in raising student engagement and have
been regarded as a promising modern pedagogical tool (Nossum, 2012; Thatcher, 2006).
Application of Animation on Neurobiology
Animations can teach complex scientific information by approaching material in a step-
by-step manner, providing scaffolds of sequentially detailed images to illustrate concepts.
Students without sufficient imagination would find it difficult to learn and remember the details
of scientific processes, such as the release of neurotransmitters from a neural synapse. An
animation remedies this by providing meaningful images, and especially by providing a
sequential visual account of the process, i.e. specifically how the release of neurotransmitters
takes place in the neural synapse, improving upon traditional use of hand-drawn diagrams and
textbook images by showing dynamic functionality. Animation, as a powerful visualization tool,
2. can make unobservable scientific phenomena clearly visible to improve student understanding
(Chang and Linn, 2013).
According to Mayer’s Cognitive Theory of Multimedia, this works because multimedia
information enters two cognitive channels, the visual-pictorial and auditory-visual channels,
where several pieces of information are processed in the working memory (Mayer, 2001). In the
working memory, images and words are organized and integrated with prior knowledge stored in
the long-term memory. Computer animations are useful in scientific learning for visualization
because of their capacity to provide learners with an exploratory learning environment (Dega, et.
al., 2013). A variety of other studies have demonstrated the importance of using multimedia as a
method to improve the effectiveness of teaching. Researchers at the North Dakota State
University demonstrated that students were significantly better able to retain the material on
protein translation when the lecture was supplemented with an animation and when students
were given the opportunity to review the animation independently (McClean et al., 2005).
Similarly, a study on osteopathic medical students found that lessons given with the assistance of
computer animations, as opposed to textbooks, had higher final test scores (Thatcher, 2006).
Implication of Social Media
While social media is a popular new technology there is a lack of experimental studies
demonstrating the effectiveness of using animation through social media to advertise and
promote neurobiological learning materials. Like animations, social media has the potential to
play a major role in the next generation of scientific education approaches. Social media tools
generally receive high favorability ratings when they are used to promote learning and
collaboration (George & Dellasega, 2011). Writing prompts on Twitter encouraged lively
discussion among students, chats with medical experts on Skype helped students gain a better
insight into the medical field, and YouTube supplemented students with novel educational
content (Junco et al., 2011). Not only did Twitter increase the grade point average of students,
but students also developed diverse relationships and shared interests among their peers.
Furthermore, students felt more comfortable approaching their teachers for questions and had a
higher level of motivation to learn when they had access to the teacher’s Facebook profile before
class started (Mazer et al., 2007). Purdue University devised a program called Hotseat, where
students could use their mobile devices for discussions on classroom topics with instructors or
peers and become updated with the latest course logistics through multiple social networking
platforms (Johnson et al., 2010). According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project,
Facebook is the most widely used social media networking site and approximately 73% of adult
users have created an account on Facebook (Madden, 2010). Additionally, about 30% of adults
online share information with others. Studies have showed that Facebook positively encouraged
student motivation for learning through interaction, communication, social relationship, and
participation. Facebook allowed teachers to monitor each student’s progress quickly, improved
their relationship with students, motivated students to bond with each other through discussions,
and provided flexibility in terms of location or time (Lam, 2012). Being accessible to the entire
online population makes it possible for an animation tutorial to reach a wide audience within a
short period of time. Therefore, instructional animations could potentially promote online
education for the general public who share interests in biological subjects. Social media
instruments have been proven to promote interest in typical students who view various
educational materials as uninteresting (McClean et al., 2005).
3. Purpose and Significance of the Study
The reviewed literature leaves some important unanswered questions worthy of further
investigation. First, the effectiveness of educational animations has not been studied within the
field of neuroscience. Besides having important implications for neurobiology education, this is
also considered one of the more difficult scientific disciplines taught to advanced undergraduate
students (Chen et. al., 1999). Improving the education of undergraduates is one important goal,
but furthermore, animations might also be capable of demonstrating complex material to
laypeople online as well. This has the potential for unprecedented accessibility to a variety of
advanced scientific disciplines. Secondly, animations in general have not been experimentally
studied through social media, and the combination of these two technologies takes animation
technology a step forward in research. Unknown challenges will likely emerge in attempting to
teach neuroscience to social media users, but these issues need to be quickly identified, measured
and eventually navigated to enable this as a viable new educational method.
To explore these possibilities and inform our field, this study examines two experimental
uses of a neurological animation. Our first hypothesis is that animation improves the learning
process within a regular neurobiology classroom. In this case, animation is tested against a usual
visual aid, a static overhead projection. Our second hypothesis is that providing animation online
teaches the neuroscience lesson better than a traditional reading approach, such as a textbook
excerpt one could find on a website. With these hypotheses in mind, we conducted two
experimental studies, one within the classroom with a large sample of undergraduate students,
and one on social media websites with a moderate sample of social media users.
Methods and Materials
The Neurobiological Animations
Both experiments of this study implemented the same three animations, which were
developed by the authors as part of the Biological Science and Educational Media Design
program at UCI. Each animation was related to a specific neurobiological topic discussed in a
neurobiology class. These animations displayed scientific processes using informative motion
images with synchronized narration. The description of each animation is described below.
Animation #1: This video (http://youtu.be/iiHSOhJvKQE) introduced the topic of neurobiology
and behavior by describing the characteristics of the brain and its neurons. The structure of the
neuron, which contains dendrites, a cell body, axon, and terminal branches, was illustrated and
appropriately labeled. Since neurons are connected to each other in a vast network within the
brain, the function of neuron communication was also discussed in detail.
Animation #2: This video (http://youtu.be/1tiJoJT2kzk) described action potentials as electrical
signals that allow neurons in the brain to communicate with each other by sending, receiving,
and analyzing various types of information. This video explained the four main stages of action
potentials in a cell: resting potential, depolarization, repolarization and undershoot, and return to
the resting potential. The effect of potassium ions (K+
) leaving the cell through K+
ion channels
or sodium ions (Na+
) entering the cell through voltage sensitive Na+
ion channels on the cell’s
4. membrane potential were described for each stage.
Animation #3: This video (http://youtu.be/zx46xADMIBY) introduced synaptic transmission
taking place between the presynaptic neuron, synaptic cleft, and the postsynaptic neuron. The
roles of action potentials triggering the depolarization of the presynaptic neuron and causing
voltage gated Na+
channels to open were explained. The effect of calcium ions (Ca2+
) on the
release of neurotransmitters to the postsynaptic neuron was also discussed. The video ended with
the animated demonstration of action potentials being transmitted to the postsynaptic neuron by
the opening of Na+
channels induced by neurotransmitters.
Classroom Experiment
Participants. In accordance with the UC Irvine Instructional Review Board (UCI IRB),
an on-site classroom experiment was performed in order to determine the effectiveness of
animations used within a classroom setting. The experiment took place in the first three weeks of
a Neurobiology and Behavior class offered by the School of Biological Sciences at University of
California, Irvine (UCI). These classes met three days a week in one-hour periods. The
experiment involved 723 undergraduate students in their third or fourth year at UCI, split into a 1
P.M. class and a 3 P.M. class. Randomization took place at the classroom level, with the 1 P.M.
class assigned as the experimental group to receive the animation treatment (n=383) and the 3
P.M. class assigned as the control group without the animation treatment (n=340). Students were
unaware of which group they were assigned to, and teaching methods were constant between the
two groups except for the variable animation treatment versus control differentiating these two
groups.
Procedures. The experimental group received three two-minute animation clips in class,
which played while the professor explained the material. The rest of the class time consisted of
traditional teaching methods, similar to the control. Students in the experimental group also had
the opportunity to view the animation online, multiple times, through an email sent by the
professor. The control group received the same lecture by the professor, but experienced the
traditional method of overhead transparencies and diagrams rather than the animations. After
three weeks of lecture, both classes received their first in-class exam. The exam contained 33
questions written by the professor and presented in 3 different forms, as an anti-cheating policy,
such that different classes had similar but not identical questions. Either 6 or 7 questions
pertained to the animation material, depending on which form of the test students received. The
professor and TAs administered and graded the one-hour exams, which were provided to the
research group for analysis after all identifiable information was removed for confidentiality.
Data Analysis. The numbers of correct answers were collected without additional student
data because class demographics and conditions were virtually identical, other than the variation
in the time of day of implementation, i.e. class schedules or online sessions. OLS regression was
used to compare between treatment and control group performance on the number of correct
responses to the animation-related questions. To minimize any time of day variation between the
group’s class schedules, analysis included control for general achievement on the non-animation-
related questions.
5. Online Experiment
Participants. In the online experiment 331 active social media users (from Facebook,
Reddit, and YouTube) volunteered to participate without any compensation. These volunteers
were included in the online study if they had a timely and full completion of the modules. There
was no restriction on access so the sample was entirely random and varied greatly in geographic
location, age, and level of experience. No name or identifiable information was associated with
this data.
Randomization was created by changing online content between experimental content
and control content, allowing volunteers to fall naturally into the two groups depending on when
they viewed the content. With the exception of a short pilot study period at the beginning of the
data collection period, content volunteers received were rotated weekly for a month and a half.
Repeaters were not included in the study. This created two groups that only varied by
instructional method, as the experimental group (n=178) watched three animations uploaded on
YouTube while the control group (n=144) was provided a textbook passage covering the same
material as the animations.
Procedure. Another social media website called Reddit was also used to recruit subjects.
An account was created specifically for research purposes so a personal account from the
research team was not used. The recruitment script was directly posted to a subReddit page,
where it described the research project’s purpose, demographics (18-24), and links to the
surveys, similar to the Facebook script. Any user of Reddit could access the survey and post
comments to discuss the learning material presented in the animation or textbook passage.
Procedure of the Three-Part Experiment. The link automatically redirected the social
media user to our research website created by Google and were immediately taken to the first
part of the experiment, Introduction to Neurobiology. In the two minute pre-survey, the subjects
were required to indicate if they have: (1) Already completed; (2) never enrolled in; (3) currently
enrolled in; or (4) plans to enroll in a neurobiology course, to determine if their previous
knowledge of neurobiology influenced their performance on the experiment. Next, the
participants answered six multiple-choice basic neurobiological questions. At the end of the pre-
survey the subjects were required to input their birthdate in order to link their responses to the
post-survey results. A comment box was also available for them to express any concerns or
suggestions. Following the end of the first pre-survey, the link on the page directed the subjects
to a webpage that displayed a two minute animation (experimental group) or textbook passage
with a two minute reading time limit (control group), which were both related to the pre-survey
questions. The baseline group was instructed to watch an unrelated two-minute YouTube video.
Subsequently, each participant was redirected to the last part of the experiment where
they answered the two minute post-survey that contained the same questions presented in the
pre-survey. An additional question asked the subjects to rate the animation as: (1) Not at all
helpful; (2) Somewhat helpful; or (3) Extremely helpful. We also asked them to choose the best
ways of learning science with the following choices: (1) Reading a textbook; (2) Watching video
tutorials; (3) Doing practice tests; or (4) Attending lectures. We obtained an informed consent by
notifying subjects to choose between two options: I give permission for my results to be included
in a research study conducted at the University of California, Irvine or I do not give my
permission. This part of the experiment was finished when participants included their birthdate
and any comments. The next two parts of the experiment, Action Potential and Synaptic
6. Transmission, followed similar procedures except for different questions, animations, and
textbook passages that were related to the two topics. The entire participation in the study could
be completed in 15-20 minutes.
Data analysis. All research data collected was stored securely and confidentially online
through a safe Google Drive database that was password-protected. To assess the level of
improvement from the correct number of responses on the pre-survey to the post-survey, we
compared the experimental, control, and baseline groups across all three parts of the experiment,
using multiple regressions. Each subject’s birthdate was used to link the responses for each
individual’s pre- and post-survey response. Time stamps were also acquired to assess the time
taken between pretest and post-test, as well as their level of experience with neurobiology.
Results
Descriptive Overview.
While the classroom experiment had little attrition due to the use of official exams, the
online portion of this study received heavy attrition. Of the 178 participants who followed the
link to the animation video only 82 successfully completed a post-test within a reasonable
timeframe (i.e. no evidence of skipping the animation). Likewise, of 144 participants who
followed the link to the textbook sample, only 73 had successfully completed a post-test within a
reasonable timeframe, disqualifying them from infidelity of participation. These participants may
have lost interest after the pretest, although it is also possible they left the page in error.
Fortunately, there does not appear to be any differential attrition across experimental and control
groups and therefore does not threaten internal validity, although this does lead to limited
generalizability and important implications for mainstream usage. A table outlining the response
rate of both studies, as well as the time in which participants were assessed, is provided in Table
1.
Table 1. Summary of Assessment, Attrition Rate and Date Assessed
Setting Assessment Type Total Participants Responses
Collected
Time
In-class
setting
Animation 383 383 (100%) April 1-
April 12, 2013
Transparency 340 340 (100%) April 1-
April 12, 2013
Online
setting
Animation 178 82 (46%) June 3-
August 16, 2013
Textbook 144 73 (51%) June 3-
August 23, 2013
7. Classroom Experiment Results
We hypothesized that students who viewed an animation in their class would score higher
on in-class exam questions related to the material covered by the animation over students who
experienced a lecture utilizing traditional methods (i.e. overhead projection). An OLS regression
determined the significance of this finding by controlling for student’s general scores, as
measured by their performance on the remainder of the exam.
Figure 1. Average percentage of correct answers on both general questions and animation-
related questions each student received by group. Error bars represent confidence interval set at
95% (alpha = 0.05).
Figure 1 represents difference in achievement results for both groups. The animation
group performed better than control group on general questions (animation group, 69% correct;
control group, 65% correct; p < 0.05). However, the animation group scored much higher on
questions covered by animation than control group (animation group, 73% correct; control
group, 57% correct; p < 0.001). After adjusting for student ability using general scores, students
in the animation group performed 12% better than students in the control group on material that
the animation was designed to teach (p < 0.001). Standardized, this places a 50th
percentile
student in the animation classroom at the same level as a 70th
percentile student in the control
classroom. Using the grading system of this course, this is the difference between a B- and an A.
Online Experimental Results
We hypothesized that students who were presented with an educational animation online
would perform better than students who were presented a textbook excerpt. An OLS regression
was used to test for significance.
50%
55%
60%
65%
70%
75%
80%
General questions Animation questions
PercentCorrect
Neuroscience exam scores by group
control group
experimental
group
8. Figure 2. Average percentage of correct answers on both pretest and post-test performance tests
by group. Error bars represent confidence interval set at 95% (alpha = 0.05).
Results are shown in Figure 2. A pretest was used to establish equivalency across groups,
which revealed no significant differences in performance (animation group, 58% correct;
textbook group, 50% correct; p > 0.05). There were significant gains in both groups, but the
animation group had a significantly higher gain than the textbook group (animation group, 83%
correct; textbook group, 66% correct; p > 0.001).
Figure 3. Comparison of post-test questions by groups.
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Pretest Posttest
PercentCorrect
Online performance scores by group
control group
experimental
group
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Not at all
helpful
Somewhat
helpful
Extremely
helpful
How helpful is the Animation/Textbook for your
understanding of the learning materials?
control group
experimental group
9. Figure 4. Comparison of post-test questions by groups.
Further descriptive analyses also revealed that more experimental participants felt that the
treatment was extremely helpful, rather than somewhat helpful and that experimental students
were more likely to consider watching a video tutorial as the best way to learn science. Nearly
80% of the participants in control group thought using a textbook was somewhat helpful in
understanding the learning materials while only 20% of them regarded the textbook as extremely
helpful. In contrast, nearly 60% of the participants in the experimental group designated the
animation somewhat helpful and 40% of them showed more interest in animation as an
extremely helpful tool to learn science (Figure 3). More than 33% of the participants in the
experimental group favored watching a video tutorial compared to other traditional teaching
methods, such as reading a textbook, doing practice tests and attending lecture. In contrast, close
to 28% of the participants in the control group agreed that attending lecture was the best way of
learning science while 50% of them chose reading a textbook and watching video tutorials as the
best way to learn (Figure 4).
Discussion
The purpose of these studies was to determine the effectiveness of animations as learning
tools in comparison to the more traditional lecture approach, while utilizing both social media
and the classroom-based implementation of the animation treatment. Our hypothesis was
experimentally supported statistically, as social media users in the experimental group exposed
to the neurobiological animations performed significantly better on the post-test than the control
group provided with a textbook equivalent. Moreover, students who viewed animations in their
class performed better on in-class exam questions related to the material covered by the
animation over the students who experienced a lecture utilizing traditional methods (i.e.
overhead projection).
Other research suggests that this increase in performance may be due to greater
engagement in the material and overall more enjoyment (Yang et al., 2003). For instance, after
exposure to the animation, the experimental group believed that animations were more helpful
than alternatives, while the control group favored textbook. Qualitative evidence also supports
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
Reading
textbook
Watching video
tutorial
Doing practice
test
Attending
lecture
Which is the best way of learning science?
control group
experimental group
10. this possibility, as the control participants’ feedback generally argued that the textbook excerpt
was difficult to understand, even though the animation used similar terminology. Conversely,
experimental participants’ feedback generally encouraged the use of animations and wanted
more lessons in animation form.
As research continues to support multimedia tools for science education, it would not be
surprising that our animations are successful. Mayer’s cognitive theory of multimedia learning
states that information enters two cognitive channels, the visual-pictorial and auditory-visual
channels, where several pieces of information are processed in the working memory (Mayer,
2001). Considering this process, ostensibly a few selected pieces of knowledge were integrated
with prior knowledge and stored in our long-term memory, and since our animations combined
pictures, narration, text, and animation, the stimulation of multiple senses created a more
engaging experience for the subjects. This could have increased the focus of attention on the
learning material, helping the subjects gain a better understanding of the presented information.
The resultant conclusion may infer that animated movies enhanced scientific curiosity, language,
and thinking higher than textbooks or still pictures.
Our main study is unique in its integration of computer animation teaching methods with
social media. Social media was beneficial for our experiment because the demographics were not
limited to 18-22 year old undergraduate biology students, but instead included people from age
18-60. These social media users came from all areas of the world, including Indian and Australia.
The animations were also free to use for everyone, provided easy access, and gave the
opportunity for users to discuss the content on Facebook or YouTube. Reddit was only used for
subject recruitment and was not used for comments. A variety of studies argue that social media
will be the new teaching tool of the future. For example, one medical school investigated the
effects of Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, and Skype on students involved in medical humanities
education (George & Dellasega, 2011).
Limitation of this Study
However, there are limitations to this study. Firstly, recruitment for the online study was
not perfectly random, nor were subjects forced to take a pretest. While it is encouraging that
animations retain more participants than a traditional textbook excerpt, there may be concern that
attrition bias may also exist that favors the experimental group. If low performers drop from the
control group more than the experimental group, then results are actually biased against our
findings, producing conservative estimates. Fortunately, this is likely not the case if
randomization procedures produced equivalent groups and the students who dropped from
control and treatment were both comparatively low performers.
However, randomization was simulated by providing recruitment scripts at two different
times, rather than simultaneously. This too is unlikely to be skewing results in a significant way,
however, as pretest scores were insignificantly different across groups and the timing was
relatively similar with only a week of separation. Furthermore, each testing period encompassed
exactly the same days of the week for a total of 7 days.
The classroom study did not have attrition with required course attendance, however we
had less control over test material and actual lesson procedures. The professor was not blind to
the procedure, although there is little evidence that this biased results in any significant way as
the lectures across groups were essentially identical. This was also a non-random sample, which
is only partially controlled for by general questions. While the difference between a 1P.M. and a
3P.M. class might not be substantial, it did likely affect results as the general scores indicated.
11. Further experiments and quasi-experiments should address these issues of randomization
and attrition. It would also be worthwhile to involve a larger sample size with a greater
demographic variety, including people who are not only interested in science education, as this
would allow us to generalize results to a general public, which is one of the major appeals of
using social media for educational purposes.
Conclusion
This study was the first to test the effectiveness of neurobiological animations on
undergraduate biology students and social media users. Animations have proven to enhance the
ability of students and diverse online users to comprehend complex neurobiological processes.
Social media had played a major role by allowing social media users to discuss scientific
concepts through social networking sites, such as Facebook and YouTube, encouraging people to
stay engaged during the learning process. We hope that our study will motivate others to support
our findings with different educational topic and study population systems in which to further
examine the efficacy of computer animations.
Acknowledgements
The authors thank Dr. Ian Parker for his collaboration in creating the animations, distribution of
the survey questions and general cooperation on this project.
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