Effects of Knowledge Maps and Prior Knowledge on Recall of Science Lecture Content

Abstract The effects of three types of lecture aids on students' recall of two college-level biology lectures were compared. Students heard audiotaped lectures while viewing either knowledge maps, outlines, or lists of the key terms presented on overhead transparencies. Free-recall tests revealed that listeners with low prior knowledge of biology learned the most when knowledge maps accompanied the lecture and the least when key terms were listed. For listeners with high prior knowledge, however, the opposite was true. An analysis of recall coherence revealed that learners recalled significantly fewer fragmented facts after viewing maps or outlines than after viewing lists. Prior knowledge was a significant factor in all analyses. Results are interpreted in terms of Mayer's cognitive model of assimilation encoding.

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