How does multimedia instruction work?

Multimedia is an engaging and motivating way of introducing a wide range of material. However, coordinating the visuals with the target message is needed to be designed well organized in order to deal with cognitive load in working memory. The principals for multimedia learning which was developed by Richard Mayer, who is a professor of psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 2001.  He suggested that words and graphics are more effective than the words alone.

Let’s have a look at the diagram about “middle ear” as shown below (figure 1), what might be wrong with the diagram in terms of cognitive load theory? The answer is clear that it leads you to waste a lot of cognitive processing, and it includes a lot of words and it is hard to coordinate the words with the graphic referring to the “spatial contiguity” as defined by R. Mayer. In addition the words in the diagram should be given just next to the graphic. As an instructional designer or a lesson planner, you do not really need to be an expert or software engineer to design and produce any course material. Following the basic principles of multimedia design, it is possible to create and design supporting materials and teaching. 

Moreover, the words and graphics are more effective than words alone and the words should be alongside to the text in order to maximize understanding. Contrary to popular myth, decorative graphics do not improve learning but words and pictures encourage learners to make connection between visual and verbal representations by making the input more meaningful and process for long-term memory. According to Harp & Mayer (1998), using extraneous images interfere with learning in three ways; distraction, disruption and seduction that refer to the Coherence Principle. The Coherence Principle is about minimizing or avoiding extraneous verbal and visual information in multimedia teaching but focusing on necessary information would be presented. Otherwise, including unnecessary material could hurt the learning process and risks the cognitive load so it should be excluded to facilitate learners learn better.

Spicing up the lesson with extraneous and irrelevant visuals or text only lead learners to be distracted from learning and targeted outcomes overall as Mayer stressed in seductive details (Mayer, et al., 2001).  How could we design materials by constructing mental models? Simply addressed, we could include only graphics, texts or narration to support learning goals instead of adding decorative images, detailed images or background music.

The last but not least, having a more relaxed and soft tone in an online class has a positive impact in learning and including first or second person pronouns with polite speech (please, you might like to etc.) activate social response in learner and the learner is able to make sense the input rather than focusing on what the instructor saying.

References

Clark, R. C., & Mayer, R. E. (2011). E-Learning and the Science of Instruction: Proven Guidelines for Consumers and Designers of Multimedia Learning (3rd ed.). San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons.

Florax, M. & Ploetzner, R. (2010). What contributes to the split-attention effect? Role of text segmentation, picture labeling, and spatial proximity. Learning and Instruction, 20, 216-224.

Mayer, R.E., Steinhoff, K., Bower, G., & Mars, R. (1995). A generative theory of textbook design: Using annotated illustrations to foster meaningful learning of science text. Educational Technology Research and Development, 43, 31-43.

Moreno, R., & Mayer, R. E. (1999). Cognitive principles of multimedia learning: The role of modality and contiguity. Journal of Educational Psychology, 91, 358-368.