Instructional Animations: More Complex to Learn from Than at First Sight?

This paper presents a cognitively guided set of design guidelines for instructional animations based on a review of the existing literature. The guidelines are based around a cognitive load theory framework, which assumes learners’ limited working memories must be considered for instructional animations to be effective. We propose six design guidelines: (1) animations are more beneficial for learners with higher levels of prior knowledge; (2) animations are more effective for certain knowledge domains; (3) segment animations in shorter sections; (4) give learners control; (5) signal or cue important information; (6) remove details and information from instructional animations that are not necessary for learning.