Collaborative learning with animated pictures: The role of verbalizations

The present study examines the benefits of instructional animations in a collaborative learning situation. We investigated the interactions that occur during collaborative learning from different materials: animated versus static pictures, both with or without persistency of information. The animation factor had no effect on the types of interactions but the persistency of information led to fewer content-focused interactions. We also analyzed the impact of these interactions on learning performances: Two types of interactions (content-focused and social relations and coordination management) mediate some of the effects of the permanence factor on learning performances.