Do Accurate Metacognitive Judgments Predict Successful Multimedia Learning?

Successful performance during multimedia learning requires accurate metacognitive judgments. However, little research has investigated the influence of accurate metacognitive judgments for different representations of information (e.g., text and diagram) on performance during multimedia learning. As such, we investigated if participants’ metacognitive judgments for text and diagrams (i.e., content evaluations; CEs) were significantly related to increased performance and higher confidence during multimedia learning. Metacognitive judgments and performance measures were collected from 48 undergraduate participants during 18 randomized trials. Results using multilevel modeling indicated that participants’ CEs for text-based content were significantly predictive of performance. Results also showed that accurate CEs for diagrams interacted with accurate multiple-choice responses to predict higher retrospective confidence judgments (i.e., higher confidence). Identifying metacognitive judgments predictive of increased performance during multimedia learning has important theoretical, conceptual, and analytical implications.