MULTIMEDIA LEARNING THEORY

 MULTIMEDIA LEARNING THEORY  ACCORDING TO RICHARD MAYER

        Explanations are communications using words and pictures to explain how something works, including animation and narration in computer-based environments or text and illustrations in book-based environments. A cognitive theory of multimedia learning reveals a concurrence requirement for meaningful learning, in which corresponding verbal and pictorial representations must be held in working memory at the same time. Based on a theory-based research program, Richard Mayer  proposed different principles like: multimedia principle, to use words and pictures rather than words alone; contiguity principle, to place words close to corresponding pictures on a page or to present narration concurrently with corresponding animation; coherence principle, to minimize extraneous words, pictures, and sounds; modality principle, to present words as speech rather than as on-screen text; and individual differences principle, to use these design principles particularly for low-experience rather than high-experience learners and for high-spatial rather than low-spatial learners. Multimedia messages offer great potential for improving the effectiveness of communication, but only to the extent that their design is based on theory and research.

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HISTORY OF MULTIMEDIA THEORY OF LEARNING (RICHARD MAYER)

Cognitive theory of multimedia learning is one of the cognitivist  learning theories introduced by an American psychology professor Richard Mayer in the 1990s. This theory is a sub-theory of John Sweller’s cognitive load theory applied especially for multimedia learning, and therefore has many similarities with it. Basic assumption of Mayer's theory is that the human working memory has two sub-components that work in parallel (visual and verbal/acoustic) and that learning can be more successful if both of these channels are used for information processing at the same time. Multimedia learning  happens when we build mental representations from words and pictures. The theory has largely been defined by Mayer’s cognitive theory of multimedia learning. Generally, the theory tries to address the issue of how to structure multimedia instructional practices and employ more effective cognitive, strategies to help people learn efficiently. Baddey’s model of working memory, paivio’s dual coding theory, and sweller’s theory of cognitive load are integral theories that support the overall theory of multimedia 

Mayer's theory is based on three assumptions suggested by cognitive research

v  Dual-channel assumption

The verbal and visual channels (similar to what Baddeley called phonological loop system and visuospatial sketchpad.In our working memory are separated and can be used for processing information simultaneously thus enhancing process of learning. The suggestion that human working memory has more sub-components firstly came from the working memory models designed by Alan Baddeley and Graham Hitch in 1974 and reviewed by Baddeley in 1992. These findings where further incorporated to the Dual coding theory by Allan Paivio and later by Mayer and his colleagues.

v  Limited capacity assumption

As Miller's Information processing theory has shown, these channels have limited capacity and limited time,they can hold information. Too much information can therefore cause cognitive overload.

v  Active-processing assumption

 Learning is an active process of collecting, organizing and integrating new information. Similarities with constructivist learning may be noticed in this definition.

Together with cognitive load theory, which offers a more detailed description of cognitive load types and possible causes of cognitive overload, the mentioned assumptions of cognitive theory of multimedia learning form a framework and theoretical basis for most contemporary research on learning. This research is mostly oriented on two goals:

v  Utilizing both information processing channels,

v  Managing cognitive load and avoiding cognitive overload.

KEY TERMS AND/OR TYPES AND/OR PRINCIPLES OF THE THEORY

Richard E. Mayer discusses twelve principles that shape the design and organization of multimedia presentations Coherence Principle

 – People learn better when extraneous words, pictures and sounds are excluded rather than included.

1.  Signaling Principle

– People learn better when cues that highlight the organization of the essential material are added.

1. Redundancy Principle

 – People learn better from graphics and narration than from graphics, narration and on-screen text.

1. 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.

1. Temporal Contiguity Principle

 – People learn better when corresponding words and pictures are presented simultaneously rather than successively.

1. Segmenting Principle

– People learn better from a multimedia lesson is presented in user-paced segments rather than as a continuous unit.

1.  Pre-training Principle

– People learn better from a multimedia lesson when they know the names and characteristics of the main concepts.

1.  Modality Principle

 People learn better from graphics and narrations than from animation and on-screen text.

1.  Multimedia Principle

 – People learn better from words and pictures than from words alone.

1.  Personalization Principle

– People learn better from multimedia lessons when words are in conversational style rather than formal style.

1.  Voice Principle

– People learn better when the narration in multimedia lessons is spoken in a friendly human voice rather than a machine voice.

1. Image Principle

 – People do not necessarily learn better from a multimedia lesson when the speaker’s image is added to the screen. (Mayer, R.E. (2008). Applying the science of learning: Evidence-based principles for the design of multimedia instruction. American Psychologist, 63(8), 760-769)

IMPLICATION OF THE THEORY IN EDUCATION

• They make the reading process a dynamic one instead of the written presentation of the texts printed in the book.
•  Presenting different drawings & pictures supports the clarification of ideas & communication of information.
• Moving easily from a presented subject to another provides a good chance for questions & discussions.
• Using different presentations like video clips along with maps or other kinds of presentations help to get the information closer to reality.
• Adding music makes the idea clearer and it attracts the attention of the learners.
• They rise the attention & interaction between students & the educational subject.
• They comprise the elements of amusement & suspense.
• They are graded according to the learner’s abilities from easy to difficult ones.
• They provide teachers with a new educational style & encourage curiosity.
• They help teachers & learners look into topics from a broader perspective as each topic comprises enormous information.
• They guide learners to peer learning.
• They are concerned with providing simultaneous feedback.

Cognitive Theory for Multimedia Learning. In R. Mayer (Ed), multimedia learning (pp. 19-30).

HOW CAN THE THEORY BE EFFECTED IN THE CLASSROOM BY INTEGRATING IT WITH ICT

v  Too expensive to buy and maintain.

v  Schools’ inaccessibility to internet services.

v  It is not as convenient as a book. Books are light, portable, provide instant.

v  Inefficient utilization of computers. Due to lack of electricity connection.

v  Learners to access improper information if internet is misused.

v  Wastage of time playing computer games that distract learner’s attention

v  They help learners remember & transfer their knowledge.

v  They support the user’s work & innovation, which makes the possession of a computer a necessity for both the student & the teacher.

As a result of the efficiency the multimedia programs achieved in the educational domain, the researcher sought to subject these programs to research in order to find out the best style for presenting & applying them in a way which ensures their optimization in education

this is the best theory because it explain how the teaching will be taugth

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