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Users and system designers often prefer to display information with graphs rather than with tables. However, empirical studies that compared task performance with the two display types frequently revealed either an advantage of tables over graphs or no differences between the displays. This apparent contradiction may result from previous studies in which the importance of the structure that usually exists in displayed information is overlooked. We predict that graphic displays will have an advantage over tables when the displayed information has structure and when this structure is relevant for the task. These conditions generally exist in the actual use of ...

Cognitive load theory assumes that information should be structured to eliminate any avoidable load on working memory in order to enhance learning. We hypothesized that the appropriate type of structure may depend on the learner's level of expertise. Less expert learners using a diagram might require the diagram to be physically integrated with related text-based information in order to reduce cognitive load. However, the same diagram might be intelligible in isolation by more experienced learners, who might require the elimination of redundant text to reduce cognitive load. The results of three experiments indicated that as level of expertise increased, the ...

Cognitive load theory assumes that information should be structured to eliminate any avoidable load on working memory in order to enhance learning. The authors hypothesized that the appropriate type of structure may depend on the learner's level of expertise. Less expert learners using a diagram might require the diagram to be physically integrated with related text-based information in order to reduce cognitive load. However, the same diagram might be intelligible in isolation by more experienced learners, who might require the elimination of redundant text to reduce cognitive load. The results of 3 experiments with 33 1st-year trade apprentices and trainees ...

Cognitive load theory assumes that information should be structured to eliminate any avoidable load on working memory in order to enhance learning. The authors hypothesized that the appropriate type of structure may depend on the learner's level of expertise. Less expert learners using a diagram might require the diagram to be physically integrated with related text-based information in order to reduce cognitive load. However, the same diagram might be intelligible in isolation by more experienced learners, who might require the elimination of redundant text to reduce cognitive load. The results of 3 experiments with 33 1st-year trade apprentices and trainees ...

Two experiments assessed the relative efficiency of line graphs, bar graphs, and tables, applying a multiple-factors approach to study the effects of the type of the required information. the complexity of the data, and the user's familiarity with the display. Information extraction tasks included reading exact values, comparing values, identifying trends, and reading maximum values. Tables led to faster responses for all tasks, and the accuracy for tables was equally high or higher than for graphs. Bar graphs and line graphs differed in their relative efficiency for the different tasks. The complexity of the data also affected the tasks differentially, ...

Two experiments assessed the relative efficiency of line graphs, bar graphs, and tables, applying a multiple-factors approach to study the effects of the type of the required information. the complexity of the data, and the user's familiarity with the display. Information extraction tasks included reading exact values, comparing values, identifying trends, and reading maximum values. Tables led to faster responses for all tasks, and the accuracy for tables was equally high or higher than for graphs. Bar graphs and line graphs differed in their relative efficiency for the different tasks. The complexity of the data also affected the tasks differentially, ...

Considering that an illustration can be regarded as one possible external expression of a part of a mental model, we investigated the role of illustrations in the strengthening of a mental model built from an instructional text. In a first phase, two groups of subjects read a text dealing with the cellular division process. In a second phase, a group saw drawings alone which illustrated the process, whereas the other group read the text again. In each phase, two comprehension tests were used to evaluate the representation built by subjects. The course of reading was interrupted by questions assumed to ...

Two factors in the graphic structure of flowcharts used for a problem-solving task were evaluated. The two factors were the directional orientation of the flowchart and the number of alternatives leading from decision boxes. A third factor evaluated was problem complexity. Eight groups of subjects used variations of binary and multiple-alternative flowcharts or prose written in paragraphs to solve problems. Performance measures were the number of incorrect solutions to problems, the time taken to view the formats, and the time taken to solve problems. Performance was best when the directional orientation of the flowchart was consistent with reading patterns (from ...

Pictures enhance our comprehension of written texts, but the perceptual and cognitive processes that underlie this effect have not been identified. Because integrating the information contained in a text places demands on working memory, the effect of a picture may be to expand the functional capacity of working memory and thereby to facilitate comprehension. Reasoning thus, we predicted that the availability of a diagram would interact with the difficulty of resolving anaphoric references in texts. The resolution of an anaphor distant from its antecedent (which should stress working memory) should benefit greatly from the presentation of a picture, whereas the ...

Pictures enhance our comprehension of written texts, but the perceptual and cognitive processes that underlie this effect have not been identified. Because integrating the information contained in a text places demands on working memory, the effect of a picture may be to expand the functional capacity of working memory and thereby to facilitate comprehension. Reasoning thus, we predicted that the availability of a diagram would interact with the difficulty of resolving anaphoric references in texts. The resolution of an anaphor distant from its antecedent (which should stress working memory) should benefit greatly from the presentation of a picture, whereas the ...