Multimedia Learning Principles Research Articles

Does language matter in multimedia learning? Personalization principle revisited.

This study examines one of the design principles of multimedia learning in a context dissimilar to the one in which it was originally tested. Personalization principle states that the amount of learning increases when the style of language is informal and conversational. In an attempt to uncover the relationship between learning and language styles with varying degrees of personalization and formality, 89 college students were tested with computerized instructional content composed in 1 of the 3 styles: personalized informal, personalized formal, and neutral-formal. The materials consisted of a short text on stellar death with illustrative pictures and animation. The visuals and text were identical for all groups except for additional expressions for personalization and minimal structural changes to evoke a conversational style in 2 of the testing conditions. After reading in 1 of the 3 conditions, the participants were asked retention and transfer questions. The participants also rated the computer program for interest, difficulty of the material, and their motivation for its style. The findings were generally consistent with the predictions of the cognitive theory of multimedia learning except for the effect size for retention. Implications for multimedia design guidelines in varied educational and linguistic contexts are discussed.

Does multimedia learning theory extend to middle-school students?

The purpose of this study is to translate principles of multimedia learning from college-age readers to middle grade students, when reading science texts with a supporting diagram. In this experimental study, sixth-grade students ( n = 180) were randomly assigned to display conditions before reading. Each student read two explanatory sciences passages, a life-science and a physical science text. Passages were accompanied by either no illustrations (control), illustrations of the cycle with labels for each part (parts), illustrations of the cycle with labels for each major process (steps), or illustrations showing the labels for each part and each major process (parts and steps). Additionally, there were two text conditions in which half of the students read standard text (control) and half read texts with cues which indicated to students when to access the diagrams (cued). Through ANOVA analysis, in the life-science text students showed modest improvement (partial η 2 = .18) from the addition of diagrams, with the p arts diagram and the steps diagram outperforming the control. In the physical science text, students did not receive benefit from the diagrams. Findings did not replicate results from college-age readers to younger readers, nor between the two texts with younger readers. These results raise concern for the application of multimedia design theory to classroom practice.

Design guidelines for dynamic mathematics worksheets

In a Math and Science Partnership project in Florida, middle school teachers are using the dynamic mathematics software GeoGebra to create interactive online worksheets for mathematics learning. Formative evaluation of these materials based on design principles of multimedia learning has lead to a list of specific design guidelines for such dynamic worksheets that we present in this article. These design guidelines can give advice both for the creation of new dynamic worksheets and the evaluation of existing material on the Internet.

Learning with multiple representations: Extending multimedia learning beyond the lab

The present study extended multimedia learning principles beyond the lab to an ecologically valid setting (homework). Eighteen information cards were used to perform three homework tasks. The control group students learnt from single representation (SR) cards that presented all information as printed text. The multiple representation (MR) group students received the same information, but each card contained either printed text or an informationally equivalent graphic such as a chart or graph. The MR group students performed better than the SR group students on accuracy of their homework answers and on subsequent posttest retention and transfer, and used more information cards while learning. The improved MR group students' performance is discussed in relation to two alternative possible explanations – the nature of the information sources and students' motivation to learn.

Revising (multi-) media learning principles by applying a differentiated knowledge concept

This paper reports on a study investigating the effect of single-media and multimedia presentations on the resulting knowledge. First, this study investigated the stability of established multimedia learning principles by measuring acquired knowledge in different ways. Second, we aimed at testing the effect of cognitive load induced by various media combinations. Third and most important, we investigated the effect of various media combinations on the resulting kind of knowledge using a differentiated knowledge concept. Our study delivered interesting insight about multimedia effects, suggesting that the effect of (multi-) media must be evaluated with regard to the learning goals. Students do not either learn or not learn. Rather various kinds of information can be acquired depending on the representation with verbal and visual media. Experimental research in this domain should apply a more differentiated knowledge concept than often is the case today. Our results offer an interesting differentiated view of the effect of media in this context.

Multimedia Learning in an Interactive Self-Explaining Environment: What Works in the Design of Agent-Based Microworlds?

Students learned about electric motors by asking questions and receiving answers from an on-screen pedagogical agent named Dr. Phyz who stood next to an on-screen drawing of an electric motor. Students performed better on a problem-solving transfer test when Dr. Phyz's explanations were presented as narration rather than on-screen text (Experiment 1), when students were able to ask questions and receive answers interactively rather than receive the same information as a noninteractive multimedia message (Experiments 2a and 2b), and when students were given a prequestion to guide their self-explanations during learning (Experiment 3). Deleting Dr. Phyz's image from the screen had no significant effect on problem-solving transfer performance (Experiment 4). The results are consistent with a cognitive theory of multimedia learning and yield principles for the design of interactive multimedia learning environments. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Cognitive principles of multimedia learning: The role of modality and contiguity.

Students viewed a computer animation depicting the process of lightning. In Experiment 1, they concurrently viewed on-screen text presented near the animation or far from the animation, or concurrently listened to a narration. In Experiment 2, they concurrently viewed on-screen text or listened to a narration, viewed on-screen text following or preceding the animation, or listened to a narration following or preceding the animation. Learning was measured by retention, transfer, and matching tests. Experiment 1 revealed a spatial-contiguity effect in which students learned better when visual and verbal materials were physically close. Both experiments revealed a modality effect in which students learned better when verbal input was presented auditorily as speech rather than visually as text. The results support 2 cognitive principles of multimedia learning. Technological advances have made possible the combination and coordination of verbal presentation modes (such as narration and on-screen text) with nonverbal presentation modes (such as graphics, video, animations, and environmental sounds) in just one device (the computer). These advances include multimedia environments, where students can be introduced to causal models of complex systems by the use of computer-generated animations (Park & Hopkins, 1993). However, despite its power to facilitate learning, multimedia has been developed on the basis of its technological capacity, and rarely is it used according to research-based principles (Kozma, 1991; Mayer, in press; Moore, Burton, & Myers, 1996). Instructional design of multimedia is still mostly based on the intuitive beliefs of designers rather than on empirical evidence (Park & Hannafin, 1994). The purpose of the present study is to contribute to multimedia learning theory by clarifying and testing two cognitive principles: the contiguity principle and the modality principle.

Cognitive principles of multimedia learning: The role of modality and contiguity.

Cognitive principles of multimedia learning: The role of modality and contiguity.