Applying Multimedia Principles to Online Learning

Applying Multimedia Principles to Online Learning

In reading through e-Learning and the Science of Instruction (2003) by Clark and Mayer, it is evident that the authors have taken former works and adapted them for designers of all levels. Many of the ideas presented are from Mayer’s (2005) book, The Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning. Clark and Mayer’s book begins with a great chapter with defines both e-learning and its methods and then moves on to the perils and pitfalls that designers should avoid. One of the important areas they discuss is the purpose of the online learning- near (procedural) or far (principle-based) transfer. I find it interesting that they note more than half of all e-learning is designed for near transfer. I think that this trend might have been true a few years ago, but it is reversing now.

Some of the pitfalls they outline are cognitive overload and not considering learning styles in the development of the online experiences. Chapter two address how people learn from e- learning. This can have an important impact on the design of an online course as the learners style will vary by their age range. Younger learners used to stimulating video games will be engaged by course designs that many older learners would find overwhelming. Clark and Mayer touch upon several multimedia principles which address cognitive overload of the learners. Mayer defines the multimedia principle as, “presenting both words (such as spoken text or printed text) and pictures (such as illustrations, photos, animation or video)” (Cambridge, 2005, p. 2). Clark and Mayer build upon this principle by adding the Modality Principle, which advocates the use of audio narration instead of onscreen text. I find this principle very interesting as I have seen course designs that both support and undermine this theory.

In looking at the online learning course I have developed through the lens of how learning occurs via the brains ability to process information according to the modility principle I can see several changes I would need to implement to increase learning of materials by my students. I use cultural video clips which include the spoken text in Spanish along with the written text at the foot of the video. I assume that the inclusion of the printed text would assist the student in comprehension of the spoken text. The problem as identified through the modality effect in that too many types of media are competing for visual processing. The video and the written text are targeting the same visual channel therefore causing split-attention which results in reducing the amount of information that can be placed in the working memory. This causes students to process the information shallow or if they are overwhelmed to tune it out completely. I have found that for some of my older students that are not technically savvy this is the case, but for others it is not.

It is possible that Clark and Mayer’s assertions may not be fully applicable to all domains or learners. Plass and Jones point out the need for more research in the testing of different learning domains and the various multimedia learning principles as many areas have not been studied. The studies on the multimedia principle and individual differences principle in second language acquisition yield findings that are consistent with those of learning scientific content (2005, p. 480). Plass and Jones contend that this pattern will not hold true for all of the multimedia principles especially the coherence, redundancy and the modality principles. One study they reference found that the addition of subtitles with a video in French actually increased learners input comprehension over those learners who received no subtitles (p. 477). This seems to oppose findings of several multimedia principles including split-attention, dual-processing and modality principles.

I find these observations very interesting as research on the use of multimedia learning principles with second language acquisition might provide results that challenge several of the currently accepted principles. As Plass and Jones indicated it might simply be a difference between the learning of scientific and languages content. In fact, many of the principles addressed by Clark and Mayer such as the Coherence and Personalization may be found to have varying impacts on different learners in respect to the age of the learners, their experience with technology or the knowledge domain being addressed. I do think that implications of the authors’ discussions should be considered when developing multimedia learning environments, but research specific to each of the multimedia learning principles should be conducted in each knowledge domain before they are unilaterally applied.

Clark, R. C. & Mayer, R. E. (2003) e-Learning and the Science of Instruction. San
Francisco: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Mayer, R. E. (2005). The Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning. New York:
Cambridge University Press.

Plass, J. L. & Jones, L. C. (2005). Multimedia learning in second language
acquisition. In R. E. Mayer (Ed.), The Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia
Learning (pp. 467-488). New York: Cambridge University Press.