Signaling as a cognitive guide in multimedia learning

In 3 experiments, students received a short science lesson on how airplanes achieve lift and then were asked to write an explanation (retention test) and to write solutions to 5 problems, such as how to design an airplane to achieve lift more rapidly (transfer test). For some students, the lesson co ntained signals, including a preview summary paragraph outlining the 3 main steps involved in lift, section headings, and pointer words such as becaus e or as a result. The signaling did not add any additional content informat ion about lift but helped clarify the structure of the passage. Students wh o received signaling generated significantly more solutions on the transfer test than did students who did not receive signaling when the explanation was presented as printed text (Experiment 1), spoken text (Experiment 2), a nd spoken text with corresponding animation (Experiment 3). Results are con sistent with a knowledge construction view of multimedia learning in which learners seek to build mental models of cause-and-effect systems.