Rich Mayer, PhD
• Professor of Psychology• University of California – Santa Barbara• Research science of learning• Father of “Multimedia Learning Theory”
Multimedia Learning Theory
• No CD-ROMs, tape reels, or “technology”• How we learn through various mediums• …or “Multimodal Theory of Learning”• How we learn through various channels
(primarily auditory + visual)
Three Principles to Draw From
Name Definition
Dual channels People have separate channels for processing verbal and visual material
Limited capacity People can process only small amounts of material in each channel at any one time
Active processing Meaningful learning occurs when learners engage in appropriate cognitive processing during learning (higher order, Blooms, etc)
How Does Multimedia Learning Work?
Process Description Location
Selecting Paying attention to relevant words and pictures
Transfer information from sensory memory to working memory
Organizing Organizing selected words and pictures into coherent mental representations
Manipulate information in working memory
Integrating Connecting verbal and pictorial representations with each other and prior knowledge
Transfer knowledge from long term memory to working memory
Measuring Learning
Type of test Goal of test Definition Example
Retention Remembering Recall or recognize the presented material
Please write down all you remember about the device described in the lesson.
Transfer Understanding Evaluate or use the material in a new situation
How would improving the device you just learned about to make it more effective?
Three Kinds of Learning Outcomes
Learning Outcomes
Cognitive description
Retention test score
Transfer test score
No learning No knowledge Poor Poor
Rote learning Fragmented knowledge
Good Poor
Meaningful learning
Integrated knowledge
Good Good
Extraneous Processing Cognitive processing that does not support the objective
of the lesson; poor instructional design (multitasking)
Essential Processing Basic cognitive processing required to mentally
represent the presented material; complex material
Generative Processing Deep cognitive processing required to make sense of the
material; motivated learners, effort
Three Demands on Learners
Three Goals for Good Design
Reduce extraneous processing Manage essential processing Foster generative processing
Coherence Principle
People learn better when extraneous words, pictures and sounds are excluded rather than included.
Signaling Principle
People learn better when cues that highlight the organization of the essential material are added.
Redundancy Principle
People learn better from graphics and narration than from graphics, narration and on-screen text.
Spatial Contiguity Principle
People learn better when corresponding words and pictures are presented near rather than far from each other on the page or screen.
Temporal Contiguity Principle
People learn better when corresponding words and pictures are presented simultaneously rather than successively.
Enough with the animations!
Segmenting Principle
People learn better from a multimedia lesson is presented in user-paced segments rather than as a continuous unit.
Pre-training Principle
People learn better from a multimedia lesson when they know the names and characteristics of the main concepts.
Modality Principle
People learn better from graphics and narrations than from animation and on-screen text.
Personalization Principle
People learn better from multimedia lessons when words are in conversational style rather than formal style.
Voice Principle
People learn better when the narration in multimedia lessons is spoken in a friendly human voice rather than a machine voice.
Image Principle
People do not necessarily learn better from a multimedia lesson when the speaker’s image is added to the screen.
References
12 Principles of Multimedia Learning. (n.d.). Retrieved January 1, 2015, from http://hartford.edu/academics/faculty/fcld/data/documentation/technology/presentation/powerpoint/12_principles_multimedia.pdf
Mayer, R. (2009). Multimedia learning (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Mayer, R., UC Santa Barbara. (2014, May 5). Retrieved January, 2015, from http://hilt.harvard.edu/event/richard-e-mayer-uc-santa-barbara
Medina, J. (2008). Brain rules: 12 principles for surviving and thriving at work, home, and school. Seattle, WA: Pear Press.
Pappas, C. (2014, February 5). Cognitive Load Theory and Instructional Design - eLearning Industry. Retrieved January 1, 2015, from http://elearningindustry.com/cognitive-load-theory-and-instructional-design
Reiser, R. (2012). Trends and issues in instructional design and technology (3rd ed.). Boston: Pearson.