How to Use Animation Effectively in Digital Learning
There is a huge research gap on the use of animation in learning. It simply hasn't been well researched scientifically. There is tons of research on images, text, live action videos, and emerging research on VR which you can infer quite a bit from but it's a big blind spot in my opinion considering the range of styles and types of animation techniques and use cases.
There seems to be some bias against animation in the educational research community, similar to what I've noticed with the treatment of game-based learning. You can detect this from reading how researchers discuss it: in the back of their minds cartoons = fun and learning does not equal fun.
The underlying bias is really the diminishment of the role of emotions and motivation in learning which upholds the status quo and has led to the same trite types of studies asking the wrong questions, comparing simple animations to images or text over the last 20 years.
In spite of this, studies have shown many promising use cases. In e-Learning and the Science of Instruction, Clark and Mayer recommend using animation in digital learning to:
💭 illustrate complex visual events difficult to convey with static graphics,
🔨 demonstrate hands-on procedures, or
👁️ help the learner visualize hidden aspects of an illustration.
What's missing from most of the research is the motivational and attitudinal effects of different types of animations on different groups. This seems to be the most valuable superpower of animation which is unique as an art form when compared to illustration or live action video and why this tool has been so compellingly used by marketing and advertising for decades.
Paul Wells in Fundamentals of Animation describes the superpowers of animation in more detail, which he calls the unique visual language of animation:
▸ Metamorphosis - the ability to facilitate change from one form into another without edit
▸ Condensation - the maximum degree of suggestion in the minimum amount of imagery
▸ Anthropomorphism - the imposition of human traits on animals, objects, and environments
▸ Fabrication - the physical and material creation of imaginary figures and spaces
▸ Penetration - the visualization of unimaginable psychological/physical/technical 'interiors', and
▸ Symbolic association - the use of abstract visual signs and their related meanings
Animation combines the strengths of multiple art forms to open up infinite possibilities for how an idea can be conveyed, emphasized, demonstrated and reinforced through words, visuals and sound. You can imply a lot about how to effectively design animation for learning from studying the research on effective use of images, sounds and video but most of the nuance of animation seems to have been avoided in the literature.
By using animation's unique strengths and abilities, we tell better stories and create impactful experiences, tailored to an audience in ways that are simply not possible otherwise.
