| The utilization of visual elaboration has been a key component of the educational process for instructors of agricultural power technology. Traditionally, still illustration and representatives of real equipment (realia) have been utilized to teach the hidden theoretical concepts that make-up the most basic operational processes of the internal combustion engine and its accompanying systems. Exponential technology advancement has allowed the development of a new form of visual elaboration in the form of high-quality computer generated animation.; This dissertation, which utilized the dual coding theory as a theoretical framework, is the first of its kind to compare the use of traditional visual elaboration in agricultural power with that of the traditional methods and the added component of computer generated animation. Computer generated animations or to fast or slow to view. When applied to operational theory of common internal combustion engines, animation is a natural fit. Animations are beneficial when compared to still illustration and realia because they offer the benefit of motion and trajectory. The study sought to identify any significant benefits that would result from the addition of animation to an agricultural power technology lesson.; The study utilized an experimental pretest posttest control group design. Participants were undergraduate students (n = 46) who enrolled for A EN 2013—Agricultural Power Units, an undergraduate agricultural power course at Tarleton State University. Following pretest and immediate posttest, a delayed posttest was administered in order that learning decay could be measured. The dependent measure, (thirty question multiple choice test) was divided into two subsections, low-level cognitive questions and high-level cognitive questions. Six research hypotheses were developed.; Results indicate that no significant differences existed between the traditional and animated groups. The authors suggest that replications be performed with a larger sample size, a greater number of questions in the dependent variable, as well as the utilization of a motivation to learn score as a covariate. |
