Further Study

Students may perform worse on these types of problems when compared to problems where relevant data is not embedded in the multimedia, such as traditional textbook problems. The reason is two-fold:

1. Additional steps such as observation are added to the problem solving strategy
   
2. Typical novice problem solving strategies such as means-ends analysis are less likely to be successful; therefore, higher level problem solving skills are required.

Experiment Design:

• Students will be randomly assigned to two groups.
• Students will problems in kinematics, dynamics, collisions, oscillations, and traveling waves.
• Treatment group will receive multimedia-focused problems, and control group will receive similar traditional problems where variables necessary to solve the problem are contained in the problem statement.
• Problems will be administered using WWWAssign.
• Approximately 600 students will be involved in the study.

Students' Comments from a Pilot Study:

The physics problem was the one about Newton's Second Law. The question was "Was the animation helpful for visualization?" These are the comments of those who answered "No."

"It didn't make sense, and it was hard to follow"

"I was unable to determine delta x, because when the ball went in the negative direction it went off the screen as t approached 3.5. therefore I was unable to deterimine the final position and complete the problem."

"I feel that it is easy to comprehend a worded problem, since it states clearly what to do. I was also confused about what the problem stated.

"Because it was hard to relate the animation with the question."

"I did not like the visualization. Just makes the problems more complicated. Just give us the problem straight out and leave the visualizations for the labs."

"numerical values would be more helpful instead of the animation"

"I think it is much easier if you would just draw a picture. It is how we have learned to do the problems"

"A graph with numbers is better because it gives me something to look at and think about. The animation just moved around and made it hard to concentrate on the numbers."

"The position was awkward because the ball was measured horizontally and it is difficult to visualize something accelerating with a constant force. It is analogous to throwing up a ball but laid on its side which was NOT,..and I mean NOT helpful. It was tricky!!"

"The animation did not help as a visual aid. I think that graphics are better to use because that is what we must use on tests."

"rather than seeing the problems, i just work better with data rather than actually seeing the problem...personal preference..."

"It really does little in helping you picture a problem. A still pictures with vectors or right trianges shown would be quite a bit more useful."