A multimedia instructional message is a communication using words and pictures that is intended to promote learning.
For example, a multimedia instructional message in a book could include printed text and illustrations, whereas a multimedia instructional message on a computer could include narration and animation.
Examples of multimedia instructional messages include words and pictures intended to explain how lightning storms develop, how car braking systems works, and how a bicycle tyre pumps work.
Richard Mayer, p.21
Multimedia Learning
READ:
Mayer, Richard E. & Moreno, Roxana 2003, Nine Ways to Reduce Cognitive Load in Multimedia Learning in Educational Psychologist, 38 (1), pp43-52.
(PDF File in Subject Documents folder in UTSOnline)
7 Principles of Multimedia Design
- Multimedia principle: Students learn better from words and pictures than from words alone.
- Spatial Contiguity Principle: Students learn better when corresponding words and pictures are presented near rather than far from each other on the page or screen.
- Temporal Contiguity Principle: Students learn better when corresponding words and pictures are presented simultaneously rather than successively.
- Coherence Principle: Students learn better when extraneous words, pictures, and sounds are excluded rather than included.
- Modality Principle: Students learn better from animation and narration than from animation and on-screen text.
- Redundancy Principle: Students learn better from animation and narration than from animation, narration, and on-screen text.
- Individual Differences Principle: Design effects are stronger for low-knowledge learners than for high-knowledge learners and for high-spatial learners rather than low-spatial learners.
Now consider your course and make notes where multimedia may be of value:
Task:
Consider the media elements in your design – use the questions above as a guideline if you are using animation, video or sound.
What are your recommendations?
Provided examples of multimedia elements you would recommend.
