Van Gerven Pascal W M, Paas Fred, Van Merriënboer Jeroen J G, Hendriks Maaike, Schmidt Henk G
Institute of Psychology, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Br J Educ Psychol. 2003 Dec;73(Pt 4):489-505. doi: 10.1348/000709903322591208.
On the basis of a multimodal model of working memory, cognitive load theory predicts that a multimedia-based instructional format leads to a better acquisition of complex subject matter than a purely visual instructional format.
This study investigated the extent to which age and instructional format had an impact on training efficiency among both young and old adults. It was hypothesised that studying worked examples that are presented as a narrated animation (multimedia condition) is a more efficient means of complex skill training than studying visually presented worked examples (unimodal condition) and solving conventional problems. Furthermore, it was hypothesised that multimedia-based worked examples are especially helpful for elderly learners, who have to deal with a general decline of working-memory resources, because they address both mode-specific working-memory stores.
The sample consisted of 60 young (mean age = 15.98 years) and 60 old adults (mean age = 64.48 years).
Participants of both age groups were trained in either a conventional, a unimodal, or a multimedia condition. Subsequently, they had to solve a series of test problems. Dependent variables were perceived cognitive load during the training, performance on the test, and efficiency in terms of the ratio between these two variables.
Results showed that for both age groups multimedia-based worked examples were more efficient than the other training formats in that less cognitive load led to at least an equal performance level.
Although no difference in the beneficial effect of multimedia learning was found between the age groups, multimedia-based instructions seem promising for the elderly.
基于工作记忆的多模态模型，认知负荷理论预测，与纯视觉教学形式相比，基于多媒体的教学形式能使学习者更好地掌握复杂主题。
本研究调查了年龄和教学形式对年轻人和老年人训练效率的影响程度。研究假设，学习以旁白动画形式呈现的示例（多媒体条件）比学习视觉呈现的示例（单模态条件）和解决传统问题是更有效的复杂技能训练方式。此外，研究假设基于多媒体的示例对必须应对工作记忆资源普遍衰退的老年学习者特别有帮助，因为它们涉及特定模式的工作记忆存储。
样本包括60名年轻人（平均年龄 = 15.98岁）和60名老年人（平均年龄 = 64.48岁）。
两个年龄组的参与者分别在传统、单模态或多媒体条件下接受训练。随后，他们必须解决一系列测试问题。因变量包括训练期间感知到的认知负荷、测试表现以及这两个变量之间比率所表示的效率。
结果表明，对于两个年龄组而言，基于多媒体的示例比其他训练形式更有效，因为较低的认知负荷能带来至少同等的表现水平。
尽管在年龄组之间未发现多媒体学习有益效果的差异，但基于多媒体的教学对老年人似乎很有前景。
