From the big bang to black holes, from elementary particles and the fundamental interactions that govern our universe to the world's largest and most complex scientific instruments, our knowledge of the world builds on modern physics. To make our current-best understanding available to all, we need to invest in educational research and bridge the gap between those who know science, those who teach science, and those who learn science. 

This month, we are going to discuss a paper by Eva Rexigel, Linda Qerimi, Jonas Bley, Sarah Malone, Stefan Küchemann & Jochen Kuhn:

Abstract: Recent research indicates that the use of multiple external representations MERs has the potential to support learning, especially in complex scientific areas, such as quantum physics. In particular, the provision of informationally redundant external representations can have advantageous effects on learning outcomes. This is of special relevance for quantum education, where various external representations are available and their effective use is recognised as crucial to student learning. However, research on the effects of informationally redundant external representations in quantum learning is limited. The present study aims to contribute to the development of effective learning materials by investigating the effects of learning with informationally redundant external representations on students' learning of quantum physics. Using a between-subjects design, 113 students were randomly assigned to one of four learning conditions. The control group learnt with a traditional multimedia learning unit on the behaviour of a single photon in a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. The three intervention groups received redundant essential information in the Dirac formalism, the Bloch sphere, or both. The use of eye tracking enabled insight into the learning process depending on the external representations provided. While the results indicate no effect of the study condition on learning outcomes (content knowledge and cognitive load), the analysis of visual behaviour reveals decreased learning efficiency with the addition of the Bloch sphere to the multimedia learning unit. The results are discussed based on current insight in learning with MERs. The study emphasises the need for careful instructional design to balance the associated cognitive load when learning with informationally redundant external representations. 

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