Can music and animation improve the flow and attainment in online learning?

Despite the wide use of music in various areas of society to influence listeners in different ways, one area often neglected is the use of music within online learning environments. This paper describes a study of the effects of music and animation upon learners in a computer mediated environment. A test was developed in which each learner was allocated to one of four groups. Each group watched a presentation with no music or animation, music only, animation only or music and animation. Results show that there were significant differences between the four groups in a number of areas, including the time taken to complete the presentation, and learner satisfaction. However there was no significant difference in the learning attainment between the four groups.