The Cognitive Impact of Multimedia Simulations on 14 Year Old Students

Abstract

The study investigated the cognitive impact of three different types of multimedia simulation (physical, procedural and process) for teaching the concept of energy to 14 year old students, A six cell design was used to control for gender and for three levels of prior achievement within a random sample of 36 students for each simulation, Pre and post-tests were administered, The results showed a significant, consistent cognitive gain for the physical simulation - a surrogate exploration of how electricity is made in a power station. Results for the procedural and process simulations revealed a more complex and varied pattern of interaction between type of simulation and student characteristics which can be linked to specific design features.