Multimedia Animation Stories and Story Comprehension in Preschool Children (Poster 34)

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Sunday 9:50 a.m.
  In Poster Session: Poster Session II for the Special Interest Group Research in Reading and Literacy (SIG 11)

Abstract

This study investigates how using digital storybooks with different types of multimedia animations influenced preschool children’s story comprehension. Preschool children (N=86) were randomly assigned to read two digital storybooks differing in difficulty and adapted in one of three versions with (1) storyline-element animations, that may reinforce storyline progression, (2) illustration-details animations that draw children’s attention to specific elements in the illustrations or (3) no additional animations. Findings showed that animations focused on illustration details hindered comprehension. Children reading with illustration-detail animations scored low on story comprehension. For a less difficult story, animations focused on storyline elements improved comprehension. In a more difficult story, animations focused on storyline elements enhanced comprehension only for children with high vocabulary.

Authors

• Claire Seung-Hee Son, University of Utah

• Kirsten Butcher, University of Utah