Investigating the Impact of Cognitive Style on Multimedia Learners’ Understanding and Visual Search Patterns: An Eye-Tracking Approach

Abstract

Multimedia students’ dependence on information from the outside world can have an impact on their ability to identify and locate information from multiple resources in learning environments and thereby affect the construction of mental models. Field dependence-independence has been used to assess the ability to extract essential information from the environment. This study utilized eye-tracking technology to explore whether field-dependent and field-independent (FI) learners differed in their visual searching efficiency and multimedia learning performance. The FI learners outperformed field-dependent learners in posttest indices. In addition, FI learners were better able to identify visual cues and demonstrated efficient visual search patterns when learning using different information formats. The research findings echoed previous findings: The dependence on information in the context of learning can affect learners’ visual search efficiency and learning performance. The findings of this study suggest that adaptable learning environments that provide a rich variety of media may benefit learners with different levels of information-dependence. Applying eye-tracking technology enabled blueprints to be created pertaining to the learners’ information processing. However, additional research techniques, such as think-aloud exercises, would enable deeper understanding of how learners construct mental models of a knowledge base in a multimedia learning environment.