What is Multimedia Learning?
According to Mayer, the term multimedia refers to the simultaneous presentation of both words and pictures (2014). Comparatively, multimedia learning refers to “the learner’s construction of knowledge from words and pictures” (Mayer, 2014, p. 3). As demonstrated in our readings this week, there exists various basic principles to optimize the design of multimedia learning environments. Example principles include the Modality Principle, Signaling Principle, and Segmenting Principle. The videos below describe each principle, and in the subsequent section I will describe how I applied these principles when designing a multimedia learning experience.
The Modality Principle: People learn better when graphics are paired with narration instead of printed text (Mayer, 2014).
The Signaling Principle: People learn better when key information is emphasized through application of cues (Mayer, 2014).
The Segmenting Principle: People learn better when multimedia messages are divided into appropriate learning segments instead of being presented as continuous units (Mayer, 2014).
Application of Principles to Designing Multimedia Learning Experiences
TransportTracking is an application used by porters and requesters (e.g., unit clerks, nurses, hospital staff, etc.) to coordinate the internal transportation of patients (Teletracking, 2012). During my co-op in the Health Information Science program at Fraser Health, one of my tasks was to create new training videos using PowerPoint for TransportTracking. While creating the training materials for this application, I applied the principles listed above to facilitate learning. For instance, rather than overlaying screenshots of the application with printed text, I narrated each slide with instructions regarding which steps the learner should take. This enabled me to apply the Modality Principle, and therefore reduced the learner’s cognitive load (Tyler, 2020a). Additionally, I applied the Signaling Principle when creating the training videos for TransportTracking: to emphasize key functionalities, I used arrows to direct the learner’s attention to buttons I described in my narration. Regarding the Segmenting Principle, I applied this concept to ensure the learner could complete their training in segments at their own pace. More precisely, I created separate learning modules for different tasks which could be accomplished using TransportTracking (e.g., How to Request a Porter, How to Accept a Request, How to Cancel a Request, etc.). The application of these principles enabled me to take a learner-centered approach, by allowing me to use multimedia in a way that supports human cognition (Mayer, 2014).
References
Mayer, R. E. (Ed.). (2014). The Cambridge handbook of multimedia learning (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139547369
TeleTracking. (2012). TransportTracking [PDF]. https://www.teletracking.com/media/1175/teletracking-transporttracking- data-sheet.pdf?width=3000&upscale=false
Tyler, M. [Mike Tyler]. (2020a). Modality principle | The 12 multimedia instructional principles [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/mo6PdP0emQs
Tyler, M. [Mike Tyler]. (2020b). Signalling principle | The 12 multimedia instructional principles [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/U-H7-iSJU-E
Tyler, M. [Mike Tyler]. (2020c). Segmenting principle | The 12 multimedia instructional principles [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/KxxK-kRs6Cw
Hi Xinh,
Thank you for your blog post! I enjoyed how first you identified and explained multimedia learning before relating it to your experience. I also appreciated how you broke down the different principles, defined them, and then provided videos for each to further add to your explanation. As someone new to these principles, I found this formatting approach very effective in introducing and understanding the topic. Further, as someone who is also within the Health Information Science program, it was very neat to read about someone else’s experiences in the program and how it relates to this topic. However, regardless of one’s program (or educational background), this story-telling technique is another effective way to promote learning.
From this blog post, I am curious to know if you were familiar with this topic (or any of its’ principles) before the course? If not, were there any principles that you struggled to understand, or did they all make sense in terms of how they contribute to learning?
Cheers,
Katie