Self-generated Drawing: A Help or Hindrance to Learning from Animation?

The considerable potential of animations to aid learning about dynamic systems too often remains unfulfilled when the targeted subject matter is complex and unfamiliar. Various approaches designed to support learning from animation in such cases have met with limited success. Recent studies on learning from demanding texts indicate that educational outcomes can be improved if learners are required to self-generate drawings during their study of a text. This improvement has been attributed to the role of drawing in fostering deeper learner processing of the presented information and superior self-regulation as learning proceeds. It is possible that learner self-generation of drawings during the study of demanding animations could provide similar benefits. However, the fundamental differences in how animation and text represent information suggest that using drawing-based interventions aimed at improving learning from animations should be approached with caution. This chapter adopts a process-oriented perspective to examine the prospects for using self-generated drawing to support learning from instructional animations. It concludes that while this approach may have potential benefits when the subject matter is simple and familiar, it is less likely to be beneficial for more complex, unfamiliar types of content.