本研究目的是去檢視「空間整合效應」以及學習者本身所具備的先備知識程度，在一個電腦學習情境下，且其科目為自然科學，對於學習者學習過程所承受的認知負荷以及學習表現有什麼樣的影響。本研究想了解「空間整合效應」是否真能輔助學習者學習，即是當學習者在閱讀一個在空間上加以整合過的教材時，學習過程中的認知負荷是否能因此減輕，進而提升他們的學習成果。本研究用以空間整合的技術為：在教材中，不同的訊息來源之間用具有連結功能的線條加以整合。透過這些線條，研究者期待學習者在連結圖文兩者不同訊息來源時，能夠降低認知負荷，提升學習成果。
另外研究者也試著去了解是否「學習者本身所具備的先備知識程度」會影響學習過程中的認知負荷和學習表現。更甚者，本研究也探討「空間整合效應」是否會因為學習者本身所具備的先備知識程度高低不同，對學習者的影響也會因此不同。
本研究結果顯示「教材整合組」的學生在學習表現上顯著優於「教材非整合組」的學生；但是在兩組在認知負荷上沒有達到顯著差異。「先備知識較高的學習者」在學習表現上顯著優於「先備知識較低的學習者」，然而兩者在認知負荷上也沒有達到顯著差異。最後，「空間整合效應」對於「先備知識較高的學習者」影響較大，相對於「先備知識較低的學習者」而言。換句話說，「先備知識較高的學習者」在「教材整合組」的學習表現顯著優於在「教材非整合組」的學習表現。

The purpose of this study was to examine the “spatial contiguity effect” in computer-based nature science instruction, as well as investigated the possible effect(s) prior knowledge may have on student cognitive load and performance. We accounted for “spatial contiguity effect” in instruction to support student learning, and were interested in if an integrated presentation format could lighten the cognitive load a student needs to undergo in the learning process and facilitate understanding of information. The technique used for spatially integration was connecting lines between the different modes of information within the instruction. By using the lines, learners were expected to reduce cognitive load inducing search for diagrammatic referents in the text, and thus enhanced their learning.
We also tried to understand if prior knowledge could mediate students’ cognitive load and learning performance. Of particular interest to this study was the spatial contiguity effect on learners with different qualities, in this study, especially different levels of prior knowledge.
The results of the study showed that the performance of the students in the group with integrated presentation format group was significantly higher than that of students in the group with separated presentation format, but there was no significant difference between the two groups for cognitive load. The performance of the students with high-prior knowledge was significantly higher than that of students with low-prior knowledge, but there was no significant difference in cognitive load between the two groups.
Finally, the spatial contiguity effect was larger on the learners with high-prior knowledge, compared to the low-prior ones. They had significant better performance in the integrated condition than in the separated condition.

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