Anthropomorphizing malware, bots, and servers with human-like images and dialogues: the emotional design effects in a multimedia learning environment

Emotional design refers to imbuing a multimedia learning environment with design attributes that promote learners’ positive affect and motivation to enhance learning. One such feature is anthropomorphism, in which human-like attributes are infused into learning elements in a multimedia learning environment. This study examines the affective, motivational, and cognitive effects of incorporating cute and funny human-like images and dialogues into learning objects depicting malware, bots, and servers in an animation conveying a lesson on how a distributed denial-of-service attack occurs. A between-subjects online experiment was conducted in which undergraduates from a large Asian university (n = 70) engaged with either the anthropomorphized or non-anthropomorphized multimedia lesson. The findings partially supported the anthropomorphism effects on learners’ affective-motivational states insofar as the anthropomorphized multimedia lesson evoked a significantly greater change of positive affect but did not differently affect intrinsic motivation and learning outcome than the non-anthropomorphized version. Concerning cognitive load, anthropomorphism led to significantly lower perceived difficulty regarding the learning topic (intrinsic load), which conforms with most emotional design findings. There was a marginal trend in which learners engaged longer with the anthropomorphized than the non-anthropomorphized multimedia lesson. This study offers insights on anthropomorphism in multimedia learning that extends to cultural factors unique to Asian learners and information technology subject domain. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed through the lens of cognitive-affective theory of learning with media, integrated cognitive affective model of learning with multimedia, and cognitive load theory. Future directions concerning anthropomorphism research in the multimedia learning context are addressed in this paper.

The Effectiveness Of Using Dynamic Visualization In Natural Science Learning To Improve Students' Understanding In Junior High Schools

Visualization can support an instructional process. Visualization consists of all types of nonverbal illustrations. The very rapidly computer technology enables the development of multimedia learning environment. This research was aimed at describing the effectiveness and attractiveness of the use of dynamic visualization in an instruction on transportation system and excretion in organisms. Sixty four students of grade 8 who consisted of 36 males and 28 females were used as the subjects of the research. The data of the research were collected in the form of pre-test and post-test scores in the students’ understanding of transportation system and excretion in organisms and in the attractiveness of the use of dynamic visualization in the instruction. Statistical test showed that the mean of the comprehension test before the use of dynamic visualization differed significantly from that after the use of dynamic visualization and that dynamic visualization was attractive to be used in the instruction. Hence, it can be concluded that dynamic visualization can enhance students’ understanding.

Integration of the Presentation of Educational Material in the Flipped Learning Model

The article addresses the issue of integrating forms of educational material in flipped learning of the university students. Research ideas concur (and possibly develop) the thesis of conceptual changes in flipped learning stated in an article by I.I. Gnutova “From Flipped Classroom to Flipped Learning: Evolution of the Concept and Its Philosophical Foundations” (Vysshee obrazovanie v Rossii. Vol. 29, no. 3, pp. 86-95). The model of the flipped learning of the discipline involves the presentation of its content in four blocks, where the objectives and teaching methods are different. In order to ensure the establishment of associative links in the organization of mastering the content of these blocks, it is necessary to integrate the forms of educational material that are used in them. The main result of the study are: an effective way to integrate educational material in an flipped learning is the selection or creation of its forms, organizing the educational activities of students based on the logical analysis of the text in the textbook as the main means of learning. As a result, there is a new educational text as an original remix of the text from the textbook, which constitutes a multimedia learning environment for a specific topic.

Effects of Multimedia-Assisted Learning on Learning Behaviors and Student Knowledge in Physical Education Lessons: Using Basketball Game Recording as an Example

The purpose of this study was to create a multimedia learning environment for use in PE lessons and to determine the effects of a traditional learning environment versus a multimedia learning environment on students’ learning behaviors and knowledge. This study had a pretest–posttest quasiexperimental design. The control and experimental groups comprised students at a Taiwanese university who were taught using the traditional teaching method (TT group; 48 students) and TMA (TMA group; 47 students). The pretest and posttest comprised the Learning Behavior Scale in Physical Education and a test questionnaire that assessed the students’ knowledge of basketball game recording methods through 32 multiple-choice questions. The teaching procedure lasted 4 weeks and covered various aspects of the rules of basketball, including the methods of recording basketball game scores. Differences between the groups were determined using various statistical tests. The students’ learning behaviors and knowledge of basketball recording methods were discovered to be significantly improved in both groups at the posttest. However, the TMA group outperformed the TT group, enhancing the students’ learning behaviors and knowledge to a greater degree. Overall, a combination of TT and TMA may have the most beneficial effect on students’ cognition and learning. Teachers should take their students’ current cognitive development into consideration when designing course materials.