If you are creating online or blended learning experiences, you are likely using multimedia materials and content. Whether you are designing learning for children or adults, there are ways to structure multimedia elements to maximize learning. In your education travels, you've probably heard a lot about cognitive load, but what does that really mean for us, as learning designers?
Researcher, author, and educator, Dr. Richard E. Mayer has studied how people learn (i.e., the science of learning) and how people help others learn (i.e., the science of instruction) and is motivated by the following question: How can we help people learn in ways that allow them to use what they have learned to solve new problems they have never seen before?
Let’s consider how Mayers' 3 assumptions of information processing relate to our learning designs. In other “Making Minutes Matter” posts, we explore Mayer’s multimedia learning principles and discuss 1) keeping things simple and 2) directly signaling the essential Information. Also, we take a look at 3) using the right combination of graphics, narration, and text.
Mayer’s Assumption #1:
We have two separate channels for processing visual and auditory material.
We use the visual-pictorial channel to process images seen through the eyes (including words appearing on a screen). We use the auditory-verbal channel to process spoken words.
Tip: Look for opportunities to make deliberate decisions about the use of images, words on-screen, and audio recordings.
Mayer’s Assumption #2:
In our working memory, we can process only a few pieces of info in each channel at a time.
Of course, the amount of info each of us can process at once may vary from person to person, Mayers suggests that most of us can maintain 5-7 chunks of info in our working memory at any given time.
Tip: Look for strategic ways to organize and chunk material.
Assumption #3:
Learning occurs when we organize relevant material into a coherent structure and integrate it with what we already know.
When learning, people make connections between new inputs and existing knowledge. In other words, we don't learn by just passively receiving information. We need to actively use new information, organize it, and connect it to existing knowledge.
Tip: Look for ways to help learners make connections between new learning, prior knowledge, other learning, and real life.
Mayers' cognitive theory of multimedia also recognizes 3 demands on cognitive processing: processing that does not support the instructional objective (extraneous), processing aimed at the core material (essential), and processing aimed at a deeper understanding of the material (generative). We can take some simple approaches to manage the challenges of these cognitive demands, as shown in the table below.
In our next few Making Minutes Matter posts, we will explore how Mayer's 12 Multimedia Principles can help us design effective learning resources.
Clark, R. C., & Mayer, R. E. (2016). E-learning and the science of instruction : proven guidelines for consumers and designers of multimedia learning (Fourth edition.). Wiley.