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Cognitive theory of multimedia learning


“People learn more deeply from words and pictures than from words alone”.

The quote above is true ... however, it's important to remember that just putting text and pictures together doesn't necessarily make for effective learning.

If you are using a variety of media in your teaching (test, images, video, interaction), you need to consider the best way for students to learn.

The Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning gives guidance for informed multimedia instructional messages. This theory is based on three assumptions:

  1. Every humans has two separate channels for processing visual and auditory information (dual channels)
  2. Humans can only process a certain amount of information in each channel at one time (that is, they have limited capacity)
  3. Humans learn actively by paying attention to incoming information, organising selected information into undertandable mental representations, and integrating those representations with other knowledge (active processing)

For example, if a student is presented with an auditory information display (narration) at the same time as a visual information display (text), then the student will need to process this information using both channels. 

However, in accordance with Priniple 2 above, the student's ability to process is limited. Therefore, the student's brain is forced to be selective with the information it chooses to keep, and which bits of information to make connections between.



Putting it into practice: Instructional goals for multimedia instruction

The table below offers a brief overview of three instructional goals in multimedia learning, bearing in mind the assumptions we discussed above.

You might find it useful to consider the various techniques listed in the third column when creating a multimedia learning activity. 

Goal

Representative technique

Description of technique

Minimize extraneous processing

Coherence principle

Eliminate extraneous (non-relevant) material

 

Signaling principle

Highlight essential material

 

Redundancy principle

Do not add printed text to spoken text

 

Spatial contiguity

Place printed text near corresponding graphic          

 

Temporal contiguity principle

Present narration and the corresponding graphic simultaneously

Manage essential processing

Segmenting principle

Break a presentation into parts

 

Pre-training principle

Describe names and characteristics of key elements before the lesson

 

Modality principle

Use spoken rather than printed text

 

Multimedia principle

Use words and pictures together rather than words alone

Foster generative processing

Personalization principle

Put words in conversational style

 

Voice principle

Use human voice for spoken words

 

Embodiment principle

Give on-screen characters humanlike gestures

 

Guided discovery principle

Provide hints and feedback as learner solves problems

 

Self-explanation principle

Ask learners to explain a lesson to themselves

 

Drawing principle

Ask learners to make drawings for the lesson


Interesting resource


Mayer, R 2014, 'Cognitive theory of multimedia learning', Richard Mayer, The Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia LearningCambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, pp. 43-71