abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the impacts of visual cues and different types of self-explanation prompts on learning, cognitive load and intrinsic motivation, as well as the potential interaction between the two factors in a multimedia environment that was designed to deliver a computer-based lesson about the human cardiovascular system. A total of 126 college students were randomly assigned in equal numbers (N = 21) to one of the six experimental conditions in a 2 X 3 factorial design with visual cueing (visual cues vs. no cues) and type of self-explanation prompts (prediction prompts vs. reflection prompts vs. no prompts) as the between-subjects factors. They completed a pretest, subjective cognitive load questions, intrinsic motivation questions, and a posttest during the course of the experience. A subsample (49 out of 126) of the participants' eye movements were tracked by an eye tracker. The results revealed that (a) participants presented with visually cued animations had significantly higher learning outcome scores than their peers who viewed uncued animations; and (b) cognitive load and intrinsic motivation had different impacts on learning in multimedia due to the moderation effect of visual cueing. There were no other significant findings in terms of learning outcomes, cognitive load, intrinsic motivation, and eye movements. Limitations, implications and future directions are discussed within the framework of cognitive load theory, cognitive theory of multimedia learning and cognitive-affective theory of learning with media. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Educational Technology 2011

L'interaction sociale représente l’une des difficultés majeures des patients atteints de troubles envahissants du développement (TED). Or, la perception des mouvements humains contribue à la mise en place des comportements sociaux et représenterait un « marqueur » du développement de la cognition sociale. Cette étude de suivi du regard et de pupillométrie visait à caractériser l’attention visuo-spatiale et la charge cognitive au cours de la perception de mouvements biologiques humains porteurs d'intention sociale (MHS) chez 139 participants typiques (PaTYP) et 62 patients atteints d’un TED (PaTED). Chez les PaTYP, l’exploration augmente pour les MHS. Chez les PaTED, un déficit d’exploration des MHS est corrélé à la sévérité de la symptomatologie autistique globale. Ces anomalies de l’attention visuo-spatiale des PaTED réduiraient leur accès à l’information sociale et pourraient participer au trouble de l’interaction sociale et de la communication. / Social interaction is one of the main difficulties for patients with pervasive developmental disorders (PDD). However, the perception of human movement contributes to the development of social behavior and represents a "marker" for the development of social cognition. This eye tracking and pupillometric study aims to characterize the visuospatial attention and cognitive load during perception of social human biological motion (SHM) in 139 typical participants (PaTYP) and 62 patients with ASD (PaTED). In PaTYP, exploration increases for SHM. In PaTED, deficit of the exploration of MHS is correlated with the severity of the global autistic symptomatology. These abnormalities of visuospatial attention in PaTED could reduce their access to social information and participate in social interaction and communication disorders.

The aim of the study was to compare the effects of the use of interactive computer simulations for cognitive load change of grade 11 learners in the acquisition of knowledge and a science process skill in geometrical optics. Both the use of computer simulations and traditional teaching was teacher centred. The study was done in a rural area in South Africa, in the Limpopo Province in the district of Vhembe. The theoretical framework was based on the information processing model. Within the non-equivalent quasi experimental design a switching replications design study was used whereby 105 learners in four schools took part. This study found that in terms of the acquisition of knowledge, female learners gained more by the use of simulations than their male counterparts. No significant effect was found in the acquisition of the skill when computer simulations were used. Initial reduction of cognitive load was found when simulations were used and with time this increased. Experienced educators reduced the cognitive load through use of their knowledge and expertise and their role needs to be highlighted. Further studies are suggested to study the effect of a learner centred approach on decreasing the cognitive load and its effect on the acquisition of knowledge and skills. / Mathematics, Science and Technology Education / D. Phil. (Mathematics, Science and Technology Education with specialisation in Physics Education)

abstract: Driver distraction research has a long history spanning nearly 50 years, intensifying in the last decade. The focus has always been on identifying the distractive tasks and measuring the respective harm level. As in-vehicle technology advances, the list of distractive activities grows along with crash risk. Additionally, the distractive activities become more common and complicated, especially with regard to In-Car Interactive System. This work's main focus is on driver distraction caused by the in-car interactive System. There have been many User Interaction Designs (Buttons, Speech, Visual) for Human-Car communication, in the past and currently present. And, all related studies suggest that driver distraction level is still high and there is a need for a better design. Multimodal Interaction is a design approach, which relies on using multiple modes for humans to interact with the car & hence reducing driver distraction by allowing the driver to choose the most suitable mode with minimum distraction. Additionally, combining multiple modes simultaneously provides more natural interaction, which could lead to less distraction. The main goal of MMI is to enable the driver to be more attentive to driving tasks and spend less time fiddling with distractive tasks. Engineering based method is used to measure driver distraction. This method uses metrics like Reaction time, Acceleration, Lane Departure obtained from test cases. / Dissertation/Thesis / presentation / REACTION TIMES / DRIVING DATA RESULTS / Masters Thesis Computer Science 2015

abstract: The problem under investigation was to determine if a specific outline-style learning guide, called a Learning Agenda (LA), can improve a college algebra learning environment and if learner control can reduce the cognitive effort associated with note-taking in this instance. The 192 participants were volunteers from 47 different college algebra and pre-calculus classes at a community college in the southwestern United States. The approximate demographics of this college as of the academic year 2016 – 2017 are as follows: 53% women, 47% men; 61% ages 24 and under, 39% 25 and over; 43% Hispanic/Latino, 40% White, 7% other. Participants listened to an approximately 9-minute video lecture on solving a logarithmic equation. There were four dependent variables: encoding as measured by a posttest – pretest difference, perceived cognitive effort, attitude, and notes-quality/quantity. The perceived cognitive effort was measured by a self-reported questionnaire. The attitude was measured by an attitude survey. The note-quality/quantity measure included three sub-measures: expected mathematical expressions, expected phrases, and a total word count. There were two independent factors: note-taking method and learner control. The note-taking method had three levels: the Learning Agenda (LA), unguided note-taking (Usual), and no notes taken. The learner control factor had two levels: pausing allowed and pausing not allowed. The LA resulted in significantly improved notes on all three sub-measures (adjusted R2 = .298). There was a significant main effect of learner control on perceived cognitive effort with higher perceived cognitive effort occurring when pausing was not allowed and notes were taken. There was a significant interaction effect of the two factors on the attitude survey measure. The trend toward an improved attitude in both of the note-taking levels of the note-taking factor when pause was allowed was reversed in the no notes level when pausing was allowed. While significant encoding did occur as measured by the posttest – pretest difference (Cohen’s d = 1.81), this measure did not reliably vary across the levels of either the note-taking method factor or the learner control factor in this study. Interpretations were in terms of cognitive load management, split-attention, instructional design, and note-taking as a sense-making opportunity. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Educational Technology 2018

I dagens samhälle blir vi ständigt distraherade i vår vardag i form av notiser och dylikt, det är ett fenomen som refereras till som informationsöverflöd. På arbetsplatser blir detta ett problem då överflödet av information distraherar oss från arbetet och därav kan vi inte vara effektiva. Informationsöverflödet belastar då vår mentala kapacitet med irrelavant information, syftet med denna studie var därför hur etablerade designprinciper påverkar uppmärksamhet och mental belastning vid just inlärning av ett gränssnitt. I denna uppsats undersöks därmed områden som mental belastning, uppmärksamhet, arbetsminne, informationsarkitektur och användbarhet med teorin Cognitive Load Theory som teoretiskt ramverk. Två empiriska datainsamlingar genomfördes i studien för att undersöka valda forskningsområden. Den första empiriska datainsamlingsmetoden var en skissworkshop där målet med denna var att, tillsammans med användarna, diskutera informanternas skisser i relation till mental belastning och uppmärksamhet. Datan från workshopen lade grunden för utveckling av en prototyp över ett gränssnitt. Den senare empiriska datainsamlingen bestod av ett “think aloud” användartest och en SUS-utvärdering av prototypen. Resultatet från denna studie har visat att designprinciper som ämnar att förbättra användbarhet med fördel kan appliceras för att hjälpa användaren att behålla uppmärksamheten vid användning av ett gränssnitt samt minska den irrelevanta mentala belastningen. Enligt Cognitive Load Theory kan en lägre total mental belastning bidra till effektivare bearbetning av information och därmed även till effektivare inlärning.

O processo de integração de informações na memória pode acontecer de forma incidental, em que informações não relevantes para os objetivos de uma tarefa de memorização são conjugadas. Nosso trabalho buscou relacionar os efeitos da conjunção incidental dentro do armazenador visuoespacial e a possível interferência da carga perceptiva e cognitiva. No Capítulo 1 buscamos identificar como ocorre a conjunção incidental entre forma e cor (Exp1) e como a carga perceptiva pode influenciar nesta conjunção (Exp2). Os resultados do Exp1 mostram que cor e forma são conjugadas de forma incidental e assimétrica, em que a cor interfere no reconhecimento da forma, mas a forma não interfere no reconhecimento da cor. O Exp2 demonstra que a alta carga perceptiva não afeta a conjunção incidental, sugerindo que é um processo automático. No Capítulo 2 buscamos identificar a conjunção incidental de cor e localização e como a similaridade e a carga cognitiva podem afetar sua ocorrência. No terceiro experimento (Exp3) procuramos identificar as características da conjunção incidental da informação visual e espacial em uma tarefa de reconhecimento, no quarto experimento (Exp4) avaliamos o efeito da similaridade da informação visual na memorização de cores, e no quinto experimento (Exp5) avaliamos o efeito da carga cognitiva na memorização através de uma tarefa secundária atencional. Os resultados do Exp3 mostram que cor e localização são conjugadas de forma incidental e assimétrica, em que a localização interfere no reconhecimento da cor, mas a cor não interfere no reconhecimento da localização. O Exp4 demonstra que a conjunção incidental da localização e da cor é mais acentuada nas provas com similaridade alta e que a carga cognitiva tem um efeito semelhante ao da similaridade, aumentando o efeito da conjunção incidental (Exp5). Os dados apontam que a conjunção incidental de forma e localização é passível de interferência durante sua codificação. / The memory binding information process can happen incidentally, so that irrelevant information to the objectives of a memory task are associated with the relevant to it. Our study aimed to find the effects of incidental conjunction in the visuospatial store and the possible interference of the perceptual and cognitive load in this process. In Chapter 1, we intended to identify how does work the incidental binding of shape and color (Exp1) and how the perceptual load can influence this conjunction (Exp2). Results of Exp1 show that color and shape are conjugated in an incidental and asymmetric way, wherein color interferes in shape recognition, but shape does not interfere in color recognition. Results of Exp2 show that high perceptual load does not affect the incidental binding, suggesting that it is an automatic process. In Chapter 2 we intended to identify how does work the incidental binding of color and spatial location and how the similarity and the cognitive load may affect this occurrence. In the third experiment (Exp3), we tried to identify the features of incidental binding between visual and spatial information on a reconnaissance task. In the fourth experiment (Exp4), we evaluated the effect of similarity of visual information in the color memorization. In the fifth experiment (Exp5), we evaluated the effect of cognitive load on memorization through a secondary attentional task. Results of Exp1 show that color and location are conjugated in an incidental and asymmetric way, wherein location interferes in color recognition, but color does not interfere in location recognition. The Exp4 show that the incidental binding of location and color is more evident in tasks with high similarity and the cognitive load has a similar effect to the similarity, increasing the occurrence of incidental binding (Exp5). The data indicate that incidental binding of form and location is subject to interference during its codification.

English has been taught as a core and compulsory subject in China for decades. Recently, the demand for English in China has increased dramatically. China now has the world’s largest English-learning population. The traditional English-teaching method cannot continue to be the only approach because it merely focuses on reading, grammar and translation, which cannot meet English learners and users’ needs (i.e., communicative competence and skills in speaking and writing). This study was conducted to investigate if the Picture-Word Inductive Model (PWIM), a new pedagogical method using pictures and inductive thinking, would benefit English learners in China in terms of potential higher output in speaking and writing. With the gauge of Cognitive Load Theory (CLT), specifically, its redundancy effect, I investigated whether processing words and a picture concurrently would present a cognitive overload for English learners in China. I conducted a mixed methods research study. A quasi-experiment (pretest, intervention for seven weeks, and posttest) was conducted using 234 students in four groups in Lianyungang, China (58 fourth graders and 57 seventh graders as an experimental group with PWIM and 59 fourth graders and 60 seventh graders as a control group with the traditional method). No significant difference in the effects of PWIM was found on vocabulary acquisition based on grade levels. Observations, questionnaires with open-ended questions, and interviews were deployed to answer the three remaining research questions. A few students felt cognitively overloaded when they encountered too many writing samples, too many new words at one time, repeated words, mismatches between words and pictures, and so on. Many students listed and exemplified numerous strengths of PWIM, but a few mentioned weaknesses of PWIM. The students expressed the idea that PWIM had a positive effect on their English teaching. As integrated inferences, qualitative findings were used to explain the quantitative results that there were no significant differences of the effects of the PWIM between the experimental and control groups in both grade levels, from four contextual aspects: time constraints on PWIM implementation, teachers’ resistance, how to use PWIM and PWIM implemented in a classroom over 55 students.

L’étude que nous présentons concerne le rôle du guidage dans l’apprentissage de connaissances scientifiques. En sciences, comme dans d’autres domaines, deux types de connaissances peuvent être distingués (Geary, 2007). D’un côté, les connaissances primaires qui sont des connaissances pour lesquelles l’être humain a évolué ; de l’autre, les connaissances secondaires qui dépendent de la culture et qui évoluent en fonction des changements successifs de cette culture. Selon Geary (2008), alors que les connaissances primaires peuvent être acquises de manière implicite, l’acquisition des connaissances secondaires par les apprenants débutants nécessite un apprentissage explicite et bien souvent, une instruction formelle. Ces deux types de connaissances diffèrent aussi en fonction du coût cognitif qu’ils génèrent. La théorie de la charge cognitive de Sweller (1988) montre que les processus d’apprentissage dépendent de la quantité de ressources attentionnelles en mémoire de travail, requises par l’activité et de la structuration de ces informations dans la mémoire à long terme. Alors que les connaissances primaires peuvent être apprises avec une faible charge cognitive, apprendre les connaissances secondaires va requérir une très grande charge cognitive.Il existe plusieurs formes d’instruction explicite qui ont montré leur efficacité dans les processus d’apprentissage (Renkl, 1997) et notamment le guidage (à partir de l’étude d’exemples travaillés). En effet, le guidage faciliterait l’acquisition des connaissances car il réduirait la quantité de ressources cognitives engagée dans le processus d’apprentissage. Ainsi, le guidage serait inefficace dans le traitement des connaissances primaires et efficace avec celui des connaissances secondaires. Cette recherche a pour but de tester empiriquement cette hypothèse dans le domaine de la biologie. Cinq études ont donc été réalisées auprès de 420 élèves de 6ème de collège. Il s’agissait de comparer trois modalités de guidage : un guidage fort, un guidage adaptatif et une absence de guidage. Les trois premières études concernaient la connaissance primaire de catégorisation impliquée dans la catégorisation du vivant (Etude I), la catégorisation des végétaux (Etude II) et la catégorisation des animaux (Etude III). Ces études, de difficulté croissante, ont montré que le guidage n’était pas efficace dans l’apprentissage de cette connaissance. Les deux autres études concernaient la connaissance secondaire de classification phylogénétique des végétaux (Etude IV) et des animaux (Etude V). Ces études ont montré que, dans ce cas, le guidage était indispensable pour aider les apprenants débutants / This study deals with the role of instruction in learning scientific knowledge. In science as in other fields, two types of knowledge can be distinguished (Geary, 2007): on the one hand, primary knowledge, which is adaptative knowledge; on the other hand, secondary knowledge which depends on culture and which evolves according to this culture’s successive changes. For Geary (2007), primary knowledge can be acquired incidentally or from implicit learning whereas secondary knowledge requires some explicit learning, and often formal instruction.These two knowledge types also differ in terms of cognitive cost. Sweller’s load theory (2008) shows that the learning process depends on the amount of attentional resources of working memory required by the activity and on the structuring of this information in the long-term memory. While primary knowledge can be learnt with a low cognitive load, learning secondary knowledge will require a high cognitive load. Some types of explicit instruction, such as guidance (e.g., worked examples) have proven effective in the learning process (Renkl, 1997). Indeed, instructional guidance would facilitate knowledge acquisition as it would reduce the amount of cognitive resources involved in the learning process. Thus, instructional guidance to help young learners would be ineffective for primary knowledge and necessary for secondary knowledge. This study also aims at examining the effect of instructional guidance in Biology. Five experiments have been conducted with 420 students in 6th grade. Three guidance methods have been compared: strong guidance, adaptative guidance and no guidance. The first three experiments dealt with the primary knowledge of categorization of living species: living beings (Study I), plants (Study II) and animals (Study III). These experiments, of increasing difficulty, have shown that explicit instruction was not effective in learning this type of knowledge.. The other two experiments dealt with the secondary knowledge of the phylogenetic categorization of plants (Study IV) and animals (Study V). These studies have shown that secondary knowledge needs to be taught.

As online technology continues to progress, the modes of communication through which content can be shared have exponentially grown. These include advances in navigational options for presenting information and news online. Though the listicle has been around for centuries, the internet has proliferated its growth, as content producers rely on its structure as a vehicle for sharing information. This research shows that in the case of listicles, format had no direct effect on recall, however, participants who had a greater interest in the content showed significantly higher levels of memory sensitivity. This critical finding suggests that news outlets and content producers should concern themselves with ensuring that their content is interesting and relevant to their audience more so than worrying about whether the listicle is in clickable or scrollable form. This first attempt to examine listicles by comparing their navigational difference in terms of recall performance lays a framework for future research on listicles.