Animated demonstrations versus text: A comparison of training methods
Cornett, Larry Lee
Master of Arts
The use of animated demonstrations to teach computer software procedures is becoming more common, but previous research has been ambivalent about their value. This study compared animated demonstrations and text instructions to determine if animation is indeed a useful form of instruction. Thirty-three users were trained and tested on 7 HyperCard$\sp\circler$ tasks during three sessions to assess acquisition, retention, and transfer of procedural skills. During training, users either watched and listened to an animated demonstration, read written text, or had a choice of either. They were then tested on identical, similar, and different HyperCard tasks. Whereas the animation group was slower than the text group during training, their performance steadily improved with the subsequent tests such that they were faster and more accurate one week later. These results suggest that animation may be an effective method of training, if long-term retention of skills is the ultimate goal.