Narrated Animations or Still Frame Figures: Do Both Formats Produce the Same Results?

The Climate Communication website (www.climatecommunication.org) utilizes narrated animations of various graphics that inform users on the science of climate change. To quantify the differences between the efficacies of narrated animations and still frame figures showing the same information, an eye-tracking study was conducted. Participants were divided into two groups: one group interacted with the narrated animations (N = 26) while the other group interacted with the still frame figures (N = 26). As participants interacted with the climate imagery, their eye movements were tracked to determine where, when, and for how long they looked at certain aspects of the imagery. Pre- and post-questionnaires were administered to measure prior knowledge and learning gains as well as assess the participants’ attitudes and behaviors toward climate change. This study will examine the similarities and differences of the eye-tracking behavior and the pre- and post-questionnaires between both groups in an effort to determine if one format is more effective than the other in increasing learning gains and altering attitudes and behaviors toward climate change.