Are the Learning Benefits of Causal Diagrams Durable?

The benefits of studying topics accompanied by adjunct displays are well established in the literature; however, less is understood about the durability of these learning benefits. Therefore, in the current study, we investigate the cognitive benefits of causal diagrams over time. Undergraduate participants (N = 194) recruited from teacher education courses at a southwest university were asked to read about plate tectonics under 1 of 2 randomly assigned conditions: (a) text with a causal diagram or (b) text only. Upon completion of the first session, participants completed a set of learning measures and a perceived difficulty measure. Then, participants were randomly assigned to a delay period to complete the same outcomes. Statistically significant differences in favor of the causal diagrams on initial learning and perceived difficulty were identified; however, this initial advantage was no longer present on the delayed posttests. The results suggest that providing causal diagrams is immediately beneficial and reduces perceived difficulty but that benefits might not persist over time without further instruction.