Logan Fiorella

• Ph.D.
• Professor (Associate) at University of Georgia

This study tested whether creating drawings helps students generate higher-quality oral explanations during learning by teaching, thereby enhancing learning outcomes. 120 college students studied a scientific text about the human respiratory system. Students then either taught the material on video to a fictitious peer by orally explaining (explain...

Habits are critical for supporting (or hindering) long-term goal attainment, including outcomes related to student learning and well-being. Building good habits can make beneficial behaviors (studying, exercise, sleep, etc.) the default choice, bypassing the need for conscious deliberation or willpower and protecting against temptations. Yet educat...

Errors are inevitable in most learning contexts, but under the right conditions, they can be beneficial for learning. Prior research indicates that generating and learning from errors can promote retention of knowledge, higher-level learning, and self-regulation. The present review proposes an integrated theoretical model to explain two major phase...

Generative learning involves actively making sense of to-be-learned information by mentally reorganizing and integrating it with one’s prior knowledge, thereby enabling learners to apply what they have learned to new situations. In this article, we present eight learning strategies intended to promote generative learning: summarizing, mapping, draw...

How do learners make sense of what they are learning? In this article, I present a new framework of sense-making based on research investigating the benefits and boundaries of generative learning activities (GLAs). The generative sense-making framework distinguishes among three primary sense-making modes—explaining, visualizing, and enacting—that e...

This study tested competing theories about the effectiveness of different instructional sequences for learners with different levels of prior knowledge. Across two classroom experiments, undergraduates learned about noncovalent interactions in biochemistry by either receiving explicit instruction before problem-solving (I-PS group) or engaging in p...

We tested two potential ways to help students learn from feedback on their problem-solving errors in physics: (a) design the feedback to align with established principles of multimedia learning (Experiment 1), and/or (b) explicitly prompt students to generate self-explanations of their errors (Experiment 1 and 2). Experiment 1 (n = 131) found no ef...

This study explored why students rarely create drawings when learning from science texts despite potential learning benefits. Undergraduates (n = 114) studied a 10-part text on the human respiratory system and took notes by choosing their own strategies (free choice group) or by choosing to create a drawing or write a verbal summary (forced choice...

This study tested how prompting learners to compare their drawings to instructional visuals affects their perceived and actual performance. Undergraduates (n = 116) created two drawings while studying a text on the human circulatory system. Then they made a series of retrospective and prospective judgments of their drawing performance and prospecti...

Prior research suggests most students do not glean valid cues from provided visuals, resulting in reduced metacomprehension accuracy. Across 4 experiments, we explored how the presence of instructional visuals affects students’ metacomprehension accuracy and cue-use for different types of metacognitive judgments. Undergraduates read texts on biolog...

This study explored how different formats of instructional visuals affect the accuracy of students' metacognitive judgments. Undergraduates ( n = 133) studied a series of five biology texts and made judgments of learning. Students were assigned randomly to study the texts only (text only), study the texts with provided visuals (provided visuals gro...

Undergraduates ( n = 132) learned about the human respiratory system and then taught what they learned by explaining aloud on video. Following a 2 × 2 design, students either generated their own words or visuals on paper while explaining aloud, or they viewed instructor‐provided words or visuals while explaining aloud. One week after teaching, stud...

Teaching previously learned contents to (fictitious) peers is regarded as a beneficial activity that aids learning. However, it is still an open question which cognitive mechanism (generating versus retrieving information) account for this learning‐by‐teaching effect. To examine the role of retrieval during generative processing while learning‐by‐t...

This study explored whether different types of instructional visuals—knowledge maps and pictorial illustrations—encourage students to focus on specific types of conceptual relationships during learning. Undergraduates (n = 134) studied a text lesson on the human nervous system accompanied by maps (text-with-maps group), illustrations (text-with-ill...

Explaining after pauses in a video lecture can be an effective learning activity, yet students need support to generate comprehensive explanations. This study tested whether providing students access to the visualizations from the video enhances explanation comprehensiveness and transfer performance. Undergraduates (n = 112) watched a 5‐part lesson...

Digital and online learning is more prevalent than ever, making multimedia learning a primary objective for many instructors. The Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning examines cutting-edge research to guide creative teaching methods in online classrooms and training. Recognized as the field's major reference work, this research-based handbook...

Social cues can create a sense of partnership between learners and the instructor, which then motivates learners to engage in generative processing. The personalization principle is that people learn better when multimedia lessons are presented in a conversational or polite style, rather than a formal or direct style. The voice principle is that pe...

According to the embodiment principle, students learn better when they engage in task-relevant sensorimotor experiences during learning, such as gesturing or manipulating objects. Students may benefit from enacting movements themselves and/or observing them performed by others. Embodied instruction supports learning by offloading thinking to the ph...

Generative learning involves actively making sense of the learning material by engaging in activities for organizing the material and integrating it with one’s existing knowledge. This chapter explores activities that support generative learning from multimedia lessons: verbalizing, visualizing, and enacting. Verbalizing activities involve generati...

Video is one of the most popular ways to deliver instruction, yet researchers are only beginning to understand how to design effective video lessons. This chapter explores: (a) how to present the learning material (multimedia design), (b) how to present the instructor (instructor presence), and (c) how to foster student engagement (generative activ...

Multimedia learning is learning from words and pictures. The rationale for studying multimedia learning is that people can learn more deeply from words and pictures than from words alone. A goal of research on multimedia learning is to understand how to design multimedia learning environments that promote meaningful learning. The research base conc...

Extraneous processing occurs when suboptimal instructional design causes learners to engage in cognitive processing irrelevant to the instructional goal. This chapter explores five principles for reducing extraneous processing in multimedia learning: coherence, signaling, redundancy, spatial contiguity, and temporal contiguity. The coherence princi...

When a multimedia lesson containing complicated material is presented at a fast pace, the result can be a form of cognitive overload called essential overload. Three multimedia design methods intended to minimize essential overload are the segmenting, pre-training, and modality principles. The segmenting principle is that people learn more deeply w...

This study tested how different implementations of explaining and drawing activities affect learning from a multimedia science lesson. After studying a multimedia slideshow about the human respiratory system, college students (n = 145) were assigned randomly to one of four learning activity conditions: write explanations before drawing pictures (ex...

Background Motivation is critical for supporting persistence and achievement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. In this study, we focus on the assessment of mathematics motivation among secondary school students. We provide validity and reliability evidence for the Mathematics Motivation Questionnaire (MMQ)—ada...

This study investigated whether an instructor's gestures can signal the underlying conceptual structure of a lesson and foster learning. In Experiment 1, 123 undergraduates watched a video comparing eastern and western steamboats in which the instructor produced structure gestures, surface gestures, structure and surface gestures, or neither gestur...

Two experiments compared the effects of learning by drawing to studying instructor-provided visuals on learning outcomes, learning time, and cognitive load. College students studied a text on the human circulatory system and completed comprehension and transfer tests. In Experiment 1 (N = 107), students studied the text with provided visuals (provi...

Despite the growing interest in educational virtual reality (VR) technologies, very few studies have holistically examined the state of research-based cognitive principles used in virtual learning environments. We report a systematic review of relevant literature on research-based cognitive principles in virtual environments in this work-in-progres...

Researchers of cognitive load theory and the cognitive theory of multimedia learning have identified several strategies to optimize instructional materials. In this review article we focus on five of these strategies or solutions to problematic instructional designs in multimedia learning: (a) the multimedia principle (use visualizations and drawin...

Learning by teaching can be effective, yet many students fail to engage in knowledge building, in which they actively generate inferences and connect the material to their existing knowledge. Recent research suggests creating drawings while orally explaining to others fosters knowledge building and long‐term learning; however, the mechanisms underl...

There is a growing demand for online courses but there are few validated practices to guide instructors on how to design and deliver effective online lessons. This study investigates whether an instructor’s facing direction and eye gaze behavior can be used as cues to support student engagement, attention, and learning. Access to the instructor’s e...

Research in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education supports a shift from traditional lecturing to evidence-based instruction in college courses, yet it is unknown whether particular evidence-based pedagogies are more effective than others for learning outcomes like problem solving. Research supports three distinct pedagogies: w...

Research in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education supports a shift from traditional lecturing to evidence-based instruction in college courses, yet it is unknown whether particular evidence-based pedagogies are more effective than others for learning outcomes like problem solving. Research supports three distinct pedagogies: w...

Background Spatial skills and mathematical ability have been repeatedly identified as critical for achievement in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Previous studies have identified correlations between spatial skills and mathematical achievement; however, questions remain regarding improvements in non-spatial areas associate...

Background: Spatial skills and mathematical ability have been repeatedly identified as criticalfor achievement in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Previous studies have identified correlations between spatial skills and mathematical achievement; however, questions remain regarding improvements in non-spatial areas associate...

Two experiments investigated how writing an explanation after studying a multimedia lesson influences restudy behavior (eye movements) and learning. In Experiment 1, college students who wrote a retention-based explanation (‘Explain how the car’s brake system works’) spent more time focusing on the text and less time on the picture during the restu...

The physical basis of noncovalent interactions (PBI) represents a foundational concept in biochemistry education that students consistently struggle to grasp. Due to the difficulty of PBI, there is a need to determine the optimal instructional approach for presenting the concept in a classroom setting. Three evidence‐based pedagogies have been prop...

This paper reviews five ways to increase the effectiveness of instructional video and one way not to use instructional video. People learn better from an instructional video when the onscreen instructor draws graphics on the board while lecturing (dynamic drawing principle), the onscreen instructor shifts eye gaze between the audience and the board...

This study explored the role of learner-generated and instructor-provided visuals in learning from scientific text. 134 college students studied a lesson on the human circulatory system and then completed recall and transfer tests. Across two consecutive study periods, students were randomly assigned to either view a provided illustration twice (pr...

This study explored ways to foster generative learning during a narrated video lesson about the human kidney. In a 2 x 3 between-subjects design, 196 college students were randomly assigned to a video format condition and a learning strategy condition. Students listened to oral explanations from the instructor as they viewed either a series of stat...

Diverse interactive multimedia products are developed for university students in health and natural sciences. These different multimedia tools allow exchanges of information with the students. In these exchanges, the students provide cognitive engagement, and the multimedia responds with feedback. The multimedia products that allow the highest leve...

Students struggle to understand the physical basis of noncovalent interactions in the context of biochemistry. Our research goal is to develop instructional materials that take into account students' specific difficulties with biochemistry problems, principles from cognitive science, and the context of undergraduate education. From the constructivi...

This study tested 3 instructor presence features in learning from video lectures: dynamic drawings, eye contact with the camera, and instructor visibility. In 2 experiments, college students watched a video lecture about the human kidney, which consisted of a series of drawings and a spoken explanation from the instructor, and then took a written p...

Learning by drawing can be an effective strategy for supporting science text comprehension. However, drawing can also be cognitively demanding and time consuming, and students may not create quality drawings without sufficient guidance. Furthermore, evidence for drawing is often based on comparisons to weak control conditions, such as students who...

This study tested the effects of implementing a narrative computer-based educational game within a middle-school math class. Gameplay consisted of navigating through a virtual spaceship and completing missions by periodically engaging in learning-by-teaching activities that involved helping an avatar solve math problems. In a pre-test/posttest matc...

Research is needed to understand how to best design video lectures that foster learning. We tested whether instructor presence is better afforded through methods that increase students’ access to the instructor's eye gaze, thereby enhancing learning through increased social agency. Specifically, we compared the eye-gaze behavior of college students...

In this commentary, we examine the papers in a special issue on “Developments and Trends in Learning with Instructional Video”. In particular, we focus on basic findings concerning which instructional features improve learning with instructional video (i.e., breaking the lesson into segments paced by the learner; recording from both first- and thir...

Recent findings show that after studying a text, teaching the learned content on video to a fictitious peer student improves learning more than restudying the content. This benefit may be in part due to increased arousal associated with the teaching activity. The present experiment investigated whether teaching on video is also effective for acquir...

Research is needed to understand how best to design online videos that foster learning. This study explored the effects of using transparent whiteboards, which allow the instructor to stand behind a transparent glass board and face the students to write and draw while providing a concurrent explanation of the material. Specifically, the affordances...

Misophonia refers to one's sensitivity to specific sounds, which can range from minor annoyance to extreme distress. This experiment tested the role of individual differences in misophonia sensitivity on learning. College students read a text passage about migraines in a quiet room with 2 or 3 other participants and 1 confederate. In some sessions,...

The objective of the present study was to determine whether it is possible to design a video game that could help students improve their executive function skill of shifting between competing tasks, and the conditions under which playing the game would lead to improvements on cognitive tests of shifting. College students played a custom video game,...

Two studies explored the role of the spontaneous use of spatial note-taking strategies (i.e., creating maps and drawings) and spatial ability in learning from a scientific passage. In Study 1, college students read and took notes by hand on a 10-paragraph scientific passage about the human respiratory system. Students tended to use verbal strategie...

Many undergraduates who wish to pursue degrees in science, particularly students from underrepresented groups, drop out of science majors before realizing their goal. This study examines the effectiveness of a mentoring program - called Biomentors - aimed at promoting success in biology courses for undergraduates beginning their coursework toward a...

The current study investigated whether prompting students to engage in generative learning strategies improves students' subsequent judgments of learning and self-regulation. Seventy-eight middle school students in a pre-algebra class completed worksheets in between problem-solving sessions in a computer-based cognitive tutor. Some students were pr...

The present study tests whether presenting video modeling examples from the learner’s (first-person) perspective promotes learning of an assembly task, compared to presenting video examples from a third-person perspective. Across 2 experiments conducted in different labs, university students viewed a video showing how to assemble an 8-component cir...

In 4 experiments, participants viewed a short video-based lesson about how the Doppler effect works. Some students viewed already-drawn diagrams while listening to a concurrent oral explanation, whereas other students listened to the same explanation while viewing the instructor actually draw the diagrams by hand. All students then completed retent...

During the past twenty-five years, researchers have made impressive advances in pinpointing effective learning strategies (i.e., activities the learner engages in during learning that are intended to improve learning). In Learning as a Generative Activity: Eight Learning Strategies That Promote Understanding, Logan Fiorella and Richard E. Mayer sha...

Increasing complexity in socio-technological systems of domains such as aviation, aerospace, and the military gives rise to equally complex problems. Solving these complex problems requires the collaborative efforts of teams who are able to not just integrate their collective knowledge, but also to monitor and regulate their collective problem solv...

Extraneous overload occurs when essential cognitive processing (required to understand the essential material in a multimedia message) and extraneous cognitive processing (required to process extraneous material or to overcome confusing layout in a multimedia message) exceed the learner’s cognitive capacity. Five multimedia design methods intended...

A growing body of research evidence suggests that essential perceptual-cognitive skills can be enhanced through training. Despite this success, at present, these skills have been studied in relative isolation and across many domains, resulting in a research literature that lacks a coherent framework for clearly match-ing specific perceptual skills...

This paper reports on a study aimed at investigating whether a video game can act as an advance organizer for teaching a military call for fire task in order to improve learning efficiency. Participants were 23 males and 45 females, randomly assigned to one of four conditions. Conditions were developed by a 2 x 2 matrix using video games with and w...

The purpose of this study was to test the instructional value of adding paper-based metacognitive prompting features to a gamelike environment for learning about electrical circuits, called the Circuit Game. In Experiment 1, students who were prompted during Levels 1 through 9 to direct their attention to the most relevant features of the game and...

Effectively presenting complex material is a crucial component of instructional design within simulation-based training (SBT) environments. One approach to facilitate the acquisition of higher-order knowledge is to embed instructional strategies within the systems themselves. Currently, however, there are few established guidelines to inform develo...

Mitigating the situational factors that give rise to state boredom is a consistent challenge facing educators. Despite the growing amount of literature devoted to the construct, the field has yet to arrive at a consensus regarding a clear theoretical or operational definition. Subsequently, inconsistencies exist in the assessment methodologies, res...

The increasing demand of unmanned systems, such as Remote Weapon Systems, for the military requires expedited empirical research investigating the dynamics associated with these systems and their interaction with Soldiers. Limited availability and accessibility of active duty Soldiers for study participation presents challenges for researchers to c...

Instructional strategies for improved learning often lack the ability to be applied to domains with differing learning goals. This study expanded on our previous work to investigate whether metacognitive prompting can be utilized as a broadly applied training intervention within a simulation-based training environment. Participants in the experimen...

The growth of unmanned systems deployment in the U.S. military has created an even higher demand for human-robot interaction (HRI) research. Currently, unmanned systems implemented for military operations are non-autonomous and require collaboration with human teammates. In order to optimize the effectiveness of human-robot collaboration, it is imp...

This study varied instructional strategies to determine methods most appropri-ate to enhance learning eff ectiveness and efficiency. Metacognitive prompts adminis-tered following training on a medium-fidelity simulation system were combined with feedback to highlight the learner discrepancies between prediction and performance. The prompting manipu...