Teach and/or support learning
How students learn, both generally and within their subject/disciplinary area(s)
Respect individual learners and diverse learning communities
Contiguity refers to how close together things are in time and space. The closer together they are, the more integrated they're said to be. In higher education, contiguity can refer to the way information is presented in multimedia presentations, video-based learning, or online learning sites. It can refer to how integrated things are in space like labels on diagrams (known as spatial contiguity) or how integrated they are in time like how points on a slide appear as you speak (known as temporal contiguity).
Contiguity has a large effect on learning (d = 0.89) ➕➕➕➕➕ (Ginns, 2006). Spatial contiguity (presenting related text and visuals close together) improves learning in both static and dynamic formats ➕➕➕➕ (Schroeder & Cenkci, 2018). Effects are larger for:
These effects hold across content areas including science, engineering, and mathematics.
This summary is based on two large and high-quality meta-analyses. Ginns (2006) analysed 50 studies covering both spatial and temporal contiguity, with detailed moderator analysis based on material complexity and learner level. Schroeder & Cenkci (2018) focused specifically on spatial contiguity, using 60 effect sizes and examining effects across different content domains, test types, and formats. Both found consistent results and used rigorous methods to check for bias and heterogeneity.
Ginns, P. (2006). Integrating information: A meta-analysis of the spatial contiguity and temporal contiguity effects. Learning and Instruction, 16(6), 511–525. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2006.10.001
Schroeder, N. L., & Cenkci, A. T. (2018). Spatial contiguity and spatial split-attention effects in multimedia learning environments: A meta-analysis. Educational Psychology Review, 30(3), 679–701. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-018-9435-9
