Attention cueing in an instructional animation: The role of presentation speed

Research has shown that guiding learners’ attention in animations by cueing does not necessarily improve conceptual understanding. This study investigated whether the number of elements that are presented per unit of time influences the effectiveness of cueing by showing a cued or an uncued animation about the cardiovascular system at a high or at a low speed. It was hypothesized that cueing would be most helpful for learning when the animation was shown at a high rather than at a low speed. Unexpectedly, students showed equal performances on comprehension and transfer tests irrespective of cueing and the animation’s speed. However, the low speed groups invested more mental effort to obtain this performance than the high speed groups. The findings and their implications for the design of animations are discussed in terms of cognitive load theory.