We conducted two experiments to examine the effects that prior knowledge and different types of animation have on student understanding. Students were identified as either low or high prior knowledge from a series of questions asked in a prior knowledge survey conducted on computer science undergraduate students. The subject domain chosen for this study is a topic taught to undergraduates in the field of Computer Sciences, in the subject of Operating Systems, i.e., Memory Management Concepts. This case study utilizes two different versions of multimedia application, each one differing from the other in the type of animation. A total of 73 students took part in this experiment. Across the two studies, we used two types of tests; recall and transfer of knowledge to evaluate student understanding on a particular topic. Early results indicate that multimedia application with 3-D animations do not have significant impact on student recall and transfer of knowledge as compared to 2-D version of animated learning.

The effects of dynamic and static visualizations in understanding a topic in an undergraduate course were reported. An experimental study with two groups of students totaling 38, investigated the effect of using static graphics and text over dynamic visuals with the same amount of text. For the study, two versions of a computer-based learning on a computer science subject, for the topic of memory management in operating systems were developed and served as a learning material. To test on the effectiveness, students were given a test on recall and transfer of knowledge after studying the learning material. Initial analysis of results indicates no statistical difference between the scores for the two versions and suggests that dynamic visuals, by themselves, do not necessarily improve student understanding.