Summary
How do you know that your presentation materials will be effective for learning? This is where Mayer’s 12 Principles of Multimedia Learning gives us a fighting chance. Without taking the plunge into Cognitive Learning Theory, you can apply Mayer’s research to evaluate the potential impact of your multimedia content.
The multimedia principle postulates that people learn better from words and pictures than from words alone. This principle was introduced in 1997 by Richard Mayer, an educational psychologist who has made significant contributions to learning and cognition theories and is best known for his work on multimedia learning theory.
What is Multimedia Learning?
In general, multimedia learning is defined as computer aided instruction that uses two modalities or the combined use of visuals and audio. This includes some combination of image, animation, text, or video with audio.
POP QUIZ: Would annotating diagrams in real-time on an overhead projector in front of a classroom be considered multimedia?
Click to Reveal
How do you know that your presentation materials will be effective for learning?
This is where Mayer’s 12 Principles of Multimedia Learning gives us a fighting chance. Without taking the plunge into Cognitive Learning Theory, you can apply Mayer’s research to evaluate the potential impact of your multimedia content.
Before looking at some examples of multimedia principles, please skim the article How to use Mayer’s 12 Principles of Multimedia [Examples Included] to familiarize yourself with the principles and basics for how to apply each. This task alone is an example of #7 The Pre-Training Principle.
Let’s look at how I applied two of Mayer’s Principles in recent media developments.
#6 The Segmenting Principle
Mayer found that learners performed better on recall tests and activities when learners had control over the pace of their learning. The Segmenting Principle states that humans learn best when information is presented in segments, rather than one long continuous stream.
Recently I was working on a course with a coding demonstration that lasted a total running time of one hour and fifteen minutes. Although the Subject Matter Expert made every minute count and the content supported many learning outcomes for the course, it’s a lot to ask students to sit passively and follow such a lengthy demonstration.
The segmenting principle suggests that learning be broken up into smaller, bite-sized chunks. Make sure that no one lesson, slide, or video has too much information packed in it. Given this situation, how might you apply the Segmenting Principle? Click What We Did! to reveal.
What We Did! Segmenting Principle Example
To effectively deliver this must-see coding-skills content, we segmented the feature-length demonstration into a playlist with eight separate videos, ranging in length from 1m39s – 16m05s dividing required content into digestible bits.
The media playlist features allow students to review skill content in the order they desire at a pace they desire and enables them to view it in multiple sittings without feeling like they’ve lost their place. Click What We Did! to reveal.
#12 The Image Principle
The Image Principle states that humans do not necessarily learn better from a “talking head” video. If there is important information to be learned, relevant visuals on the screen will be more effective than just the talking head of an instructor. Rather than just a talking head, use relevant animations and visuals that help reinforce the audio voiceover.
What We Did! Image Principle Example
Without the presence of an instructor, the content in this lecture might best be presented in other formats. And without the relevant visuals and a few animations, this content would be challenging to comprehend and consume as just a talking head lecture.
Am I ready to create multimedia?
As you begin to develop your next multimedia learning experience, look to Mayer’s Principles of Multimedia and ask yourself these overarching questions:
- Do my students need to see it to believe it?
- Does the visual need to be explained beyond what can be seen?
- Would the learner be aided by annotation or animation?
If your answer to these questions is “Yes”, then you may be on the way to developing a necessary and effective multimedia learning experience.