What drives the learning benefits of moving text? A theoretical discussion for learning implications of kinetic typography

Abstract

Moving text or kinetic typography can be effectively utilized in instructional message design because moving text in a presentation not only attracts the learner’s attention rapidly but also delivers content effectively, thereby promoting learning. For optimal pedagogical application of such technology, it is necessary to investigate which properties and potentials of kinetic typography lead to learning benefits. This paper theoretically explores the learning advantages and instructional implications of kinetic typography based on the properties of oral language and written text (conceptualized as ‘orality’ and ‘literacy’, respectively) because moving text has properties that derive from both literacy and orality. The discussion implies that a critical learning benefit of moving text is not from the movement itself but from ‘a shared thinking process’ between instructor and learner through sequential presentation of text along with the logical flow within the learning content, which is similar to oral language.