Abstract
Acquiring complex conceptual knowledge requires learners to self-regulate their learning by planning, monitoring, and adjusting the process but they find it difficult to do so. In one experiment, we examined whether learners need broad systems of support for self-regulation or whether they are also able to learn with more economical support configurations. Eighty-six undergraduate students with little prior domain knowledge learned plate tectonics from a multimedia presentation involving animation with concurrent narration and support in one of four forms: minimal support, two variants of intermediate support, or extensive support. After the presentation, participants solved retention and transfer tests. The results revealed that participants receiving the broadest system of support outperformed those in the other conditions, which did not differ from one another. This means that it is so difficult for learners to self-regulate learning that they need considerable support if they are to learn complex conceptual knowledge.
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Acknowledgments
This research was supported by funding from Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación de España (Proyecto EDU2009-13077) awarded to the first and second authors. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the authors and not necessarily represent those of the MICINN. We thank John Mark Hawkins Ortiz for revising the use of English.
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García Rodicio, H., Sánchez, E. & Acuña, S.R. Support for self-regulation in learning complex topics from multimedia explanations: do learners need extensive or minimal support?. Instr Sci 41, 539–553 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-012-9243-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-012-9243-4