How Scientific Illustration and Photography Aid Learners' Reading - Evidence from Eye Movements

This study investigated how readers interacted with different visual elements of AR books and examined specifically the function of pictorial representations of scientific illustration and photography in scientific reading. Four visual elements, namely the original Latin texts, original botanical illustration, augmented Chinese translation, and augmented color photograph, were arranged in four different layouts. The valid eye movement data from 29 college students in reading botanical floras were analyzed. The participants were assigned into 4 groups to read the AR book with different layouts. Descriptive results of participants' reading behaviors regarding their gazes associated with the position and distance of the visual elements were reported and discussed. The preliminary findings of the study supported that color photography was a complementary aid to participants' reading of botanical illustrations.