Animations need clear explanations

With the rise of the computer in the classroom, the use of multimedia resources in teaching has become almost ubiquitous. However, even well-constructed animations can be misinterpreted if they are clearly narrated. It is important that we understand which visual elements of animations communicate the intended messages most clearly. Rosenthal and Sanger describe the outcomes of an investigation into students' ability to explain their understanding of a redox reaction after viewing two animations of differing complexity.

David Read summarises and reviews Rosenthal and Sanger's study.