New Perspectives in Science Education

Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning yields evidence that in demanding fields of science learning with dynamic multimedia can be more beneficial than learning with static monomedia [1]. With the ability to depict movements on the atomic level dynamic multimedia has emerged as a promising tool to teach chemistry [2]. To investigate this projection for higher organic chemistry a study was conducted with the aim to identify potential differences between learning with videos and learning with textbooks on the other hand. Named study surveyed transfer ability via post-test as well as the approaches to the tasks set in short group interviews. Furthermore, the students were asked about their attitudes towards the respective learning materials with a questionnaire. The aldol reaction was deliberately chosen as learning content for it requires a good understanding of the reaction from nucleophile and electrophile and is relatively demanding in regard to spatial ability. All 14 participants were randomly assigned to either the multimedia or the monomedia treatment which did not differ in content. They all were undergraduate students and had no prior knowledge of the aldol reaction.

Based on classical test theory this paper firstly presents the results of an item analysis providing discrimination-index, difficulty-index and Cronbach’s alpha for both the questionnaire and the post-test. In addition to that the paper presents the procedure of a qualitative content analysis for the group interviews according to Mayring [3]. In conclusion the results of both analyses shall be taken in consideration for the design of the main study on this topic.