Animations can be seen as a type of model. Models are ubiquitous in the field of learning. The term model is not used uniformly.
Some models function as a substitute for reality. Knowledge can be gained from observing crash test dummies, miniature cities or wind tunnels. A toy is also a substitute for reality.
Models are also understood as illustrations, especially in the field of science and didactics. The purpose determines what is depicted and what is not depicted. Stachowiak has summarized this connection with the three characteristics a) pragmatic characteristic, b) depiction characteristic and c) foreshortening characteristic.
Even a merely imagined model fulfills a purpose. If you imagine the floor plan of a building, you sometimes reach your goal. Imagined models are also referred to as mental models.
Models can help to overcome critical factors in learning. In the field of technology and the natural sciences, for example, this is the fact that certain processes cannot be observed directly.
Literature
Stachowiak, Herbert: Allgemeine Modelltheorie, Wien/New York: Springer 1973