The effect of signaling in dependence on the extraneous cognitive load in learning environments
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RESEARCH ARTICLE
The effect of signaling in dependence on the extraneous cognitive load in learning environments Maik Beege1 · Steve Nebel1 · Sascha Schneider1 · Günter Daniel Rey1 Received: 16 March 2020 / Accepted: 12 October 2020 © Marta Olivetti Belardinelli and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract Text-based learning media are often used in primary, secondary and university education. Therefore, text designers can support the learner by highlighting the most relevant information by using visual cues. Despite this signaling effect’s broad empirical basis, the extent to which the effectiveness of educational signals is dependent on moderator variables, like the design and layout of the text has not been investigated to date. In the current experiment, 138 university students learned about the formation of tsunamis from an instructional text. The text was manipulated in terms of signaling (color cues vs. no color cues) and induced learning-irrelevant extraneous cognitive load (fluent text font vs. disfluent text font). The results revealed that learners who had received the signaled text outperformed those who received the non-signaled text in terms of transfer performance. These results are explained by cognitive load, which was reduced in the signaling condition. The text font had no influence on the learning outcomes. Extraneous load induction further led to higher metacognitive accuracy and invested effort, while cognitive load and frustration were also increased. Interaction effects only occurred in terms of testing time, ease of learning and navigation. Results indicate that signaling is beneficial for transfer performance, independent of the font design of text. Keywords Instructional texts · Signaling · Disfluency · Cognitive load · Learning
Introduction When considering complex instructional texts, it is difficult to distinguish between learning-relevant and learning-irrelevant information. Learners who do not receive instructional help can easily be overwhelmed when trying to identify core information which is necessary for understanding the learning content (e.g., Anderson and Armbruster 1984; Mayer 2005). The signaling principle is a prominent design recommendation for supporting learners. Relevant information should be cued, in order to guide the learner’s attention to the most important parts of the text (van Gog 2014). This instructional support is especially necessary when the Handling Editor: Massimilano Palmiero (University of Bergamo). Reviewers: Three researchers who prefer to remain anonymous. * Maik Beege [email protected]‑chemnitz.de 1
Psychology of Learning with Digital Media, Faculty of Humanities, Chemnitz University of Technology, Straße der Nationen 12, 09111 Chemnitz, Germany
learning environment has a confusing or detrimental design (Sweller 2010). How the extraneous cognitive load (processing learning-irrelevant information due to suboptimal instructional design) induced through an instructional text influences the effects of signaling is n
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