Poster #11 - An Eye-Tracking Exploration on How Chinese as a Foreign Language Learners Learn Chinese Characters With Different Formats of Information

• In Event: 43.081 - MTCC Poster Session Nine
  In Poster Session: 43.081-2 - Technology, Instruction, Cognition, and Learning: A Survey of Research

Abstract

The study investigated differences in learning achievement, cognitive load level, and eye-moving patterns when viewing three types of Chinese characters: pictograms, associative compounds, and pictophonetic images with multimedia slides. Twenty-four Chinese as a Foreign Language students participated in this study. Additional eye-tracking data such as participants’ total fixation durations while viewing the instructional slides were recorded. The results showed that CFL learners learned pictogram characters with less cognitive load and marginal improvement when learning associative compound and pictophonetic characters. In addition to these results, learners were found to fixated less on pictogram characters with illustration than for other categories of characters with text explanation. The findings suggest using videos/animations to support student learning on associative compound and pictophonetic characters.

Authors

• Han-Chin Liu, National Chiayi University

• Hsueh-Hua Chuang, National Sun Yat-Sen University