Effects of Contiguity and Feature Animation in Computer-Based Geography Instruction

This study examined the effects of contiguity and feature animation on the recall, map reconstruction, inference performance, and en-route behavior of university students studying a computer-delivered reference map with associated text. Participants were randomly assigned to six versions of a computer program created by crossing three contiguity conditions (temporal contiguity, spatial and temporal contiguity, and no contiguity) with two map feature modes (animation, no animation). Participants studying text contiguous to features recalled more facts, matched more facts with corresponding features, and made more accurate inferences than those studying text not contiguous to features. Participants in the temporal contiguity conditions produced better map reconstructions than those in the no contiguity conditions. Those studying an animated map recalled more feature names than those studying a static map.