http://repub.eur.nl/res/aut/46549/ List of Publications en http://repub.eur.nl/static-eur/img/logo.png http://repub.eur.nl http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/39921/ 2013-05-01T00:00:00Z This study investigated whether arrow-line cues can improve the effectiveness and efficiency of learning in a mobile device supported learning environment on leaf morphology of plants, either with or without the use of real plants. A cued and un-cued condition, in which primary school students used text and pictures on a tablet PC, were compared with a cued and un-cued condition, in which the students used the text and pictures on the tablet PC and real plants. Using the theoretical framework of cognitive load theory, it was expected that arrow-line cues would decrease extraneous cognitive load and that the availability of real plants would increase germane cognitive load. Arrow-line cues were hypothesized to decrease split-attention effects by supporting the students' mental integration of different sources of related information on the mobile device, materializing in a more favorable relationship between learning time and test performance (ie, higher learning efficiency) in the cued conditions than in the un-cued conditions. The availability of real plants was hypothesized to foster learning efficiency by providing a more motivating physical environment, in which the students could verify the knowledge available on a mobile device with real plants. However, this positive germane cognitive load effect was only expected in combination with decreased extraneous cognitive load in the cued condition. Whereas, the results showed higher efficiency of the cued conditions than the un-cued conditions, no difference was found between the cued conditions with or without real plants. The implications of the results for research and design of mobile device supported learning environments are discussed. © 2012 The Authors. British Journal of Educational Technology http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/30982/ 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z This study investigated split-attention and redundancy effects in a mobile learning environment on leaf morphology of plants as a function of different combinations of media. Eighty-one fifth-grade students were randomly assigned to the following three conditions: texts with pictures embedded in the mobile device (TP condition); texts embedded in the mobile device and real objects that are outside of the mobile device (TO condition); and texts with pictures embedded in the mobile device and real objects that are outside of the mobile device (TPO condition). Differences in performance on comprehension tests and learning efficiency were examined across conditions. The TP condition was expected to perform better than the TO condition due to a split-attention effect. The TP and TO conditions were expected to perform better than the TPO condition due to a redundancy effect. The results indicated no difference between the TP and the TO condition in comprehension and learning efficiency, but the TP and TO conditions performed better than the TPO condition on both measures. The implications of the results for research and design of mobile learning environments are discussed.