THE EFFECTS OF AN ANIMATION-BASED ON-LINE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT ON TRANSFER OF KNOWLEDGE AND ON MOTIVATION FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LEARNING

The study described here is among the first of its kind to investigate systematically the effect of learning with integrated animations on transfer of knowledge and on motivation to learn science and technology. Four hundred eighteen 5th and 7th grade students across Israel participated in a study. Students in the experimental group participated at least once a week in science and technology lessons that integrated the animation environment. The experiment was continued for 2 to 3 months. The findings showed a significant impact of animation-based on-line learning environment on transfer of knowledge and on learning motivation. Additionally, the findings showed that students changed their perception of science and technology learning as a result of teaching and learning with integrated animations. Students perceived themselves as playing a more central role in classroom interactions, felt greater interest in learning, and emphasized more the use of technology and experiments during lessons.