Learning cell biology with close-up views or connecting lines: Evidence for the structure mapping effect

Different visualization strategies for structuring non-hierarchical learning tasks in hypermedia are used until now. Do these strategies differ in learning effectiveness? In the present study, a hypermedia learning environment about cell biology was investigated. The graphical properties of a content module were created in two different ways, either depicting close-up views of the cell organelles or with connecting lines between the cell organelles and their respective technical terms within the graphic of the whole cell. Students’ post test performance indicate that connecting lines fostered auditory recall, that is remembering and understanding of narrative information, more efficiently than close-up views. In the case of visual recall, that is identification of electron microscopic pictures depicting cell structures, there was no difference in performance between these two visualization techniques. Transfer performance depended on an interaction between visualization technique and students’ spatial ability: Only students with high spatial ability benefited from the connecting lines variant. With respect to auditory recall and transfer performance, the present study supports the structure mapping effect as proposed by the integrated model of text and picture comprehension. Especially students with low spatial ability seem to be prone to an illusion of knowing.