Scenario & Challenge: You are a graduate teaching assistant at FSU anxiously awaiting the big game on Saturday Before you can pick up your tickets to the game, your professor has a few errands around campus for you to accomplish You must successfully complete the tasks to be dismissed for the weekend

Rules: All tasks must be completed in the order they are listed You must answer each character’s question about the Coherence Principle correctly before advancing to the next task Click on the numbered locations on campus and the garnet arrows to advance throughout the game

TO-DO CHECKLIST  Mandatory TA training at New Classroom Building  Take professor’s textbook order to FSU Bookstore  Return books to Strozier Library  Deliver paperwork to Westcott Building  Pick up graded tests from Testing Center CLICK ON NUMBERS TO COMPLETE TASKS

TO-DO CHECKLIST  Mandatory TA training at New Classroom Building  Take professor’s textbook order to FSU Bookstore  Return books to Strozier Library  Deliver paperwork to Westcott Building  Pick up graded tests from Testing Center

Welcome to T.A. Training My name is Tasha Andrews…I am a 3 rd year graduate teaching assistant here at FSU. Today we’re going to learn about the Coherence Principle for effective e-learning.

The Problem When we create multimedia presentations, we want to use glitz and games to make the learning experience more engaging for the students.

The Coherence Principle Rule #1 Using gratuitous visuals, text and sounds can hurt learning

What We Tend To Use Dramatic video or text (to add interest) Background music (to add appeal) Popular movie characters or themes (to add entertainment value)

The Coherence Principle Rule #2 Details related to the instruction that are extraneous in nature depress learning (seductive details)

How Seductive Details Affect Learners Distract learners from key instructional points Disrupt learners’ organization of information Activate irrelevant prior knowledge

Congratulations! You’ve just completed the mandatory training for graduate teaching assistants. You are now on your way to instructional excellence…good luck!

TO-DO CHECKLIST  Mandatory TA training at New Classroom Building  Take professor’s textbook order to FSU Bookstore  Return books to Strozier Library  Deliver paperwork to Westcott Building  Pick up graded tests from Testing Center CLICK ON NUMBERS TO COMPLETE TASKS

TO-DO CHECKLIST  Mandatory TA training at New Classroom Building  Take professor’s textbook order to FSU Bookstore  Return books to Strozier Library  Deliver paperwork to Westcott Building  Pick up graded tests from Testing Center

Welcome to the FSU Bookstore! Hi there, I’m the bookstore manager, Beatrice Sanchez. I see you have Professor Woods’ textbook order for next semester.

Welcome to the FSU Bookstore! By the way…Professor Woods mentioned that you are great at creating multimedia presentations. Would you mind if I asked you a question?

Welcome to the FSU Bookstore! I’m making a training podcast for my new employees here at the bookstore, and I don’t want it to be boring. Should I add some background music during the instruction to keep them interested? YESNO

INCORRECT Rule #1 Using gratuitous visuals, text and sounds can hurt learning

We Tend To Want To Add… Dramatic video or text (to add interest) Background music (to add appeal) Popular movie characters or themes (to add entertainment value)

CORRECT So what you’re saying is that using music during instruction can negatively affect learning. Oh wow, I’ve never heard of the Coherence Principle, but I can see your point. Thanks for the advice, and see you next semester!

TO-DO CHECKLIST  Mandatory TA training at New Classroom Building  Take professor’s textbook order to FSU Bookstore  Return books to Strozier Library  Deliver paperwork to Westcott Building  Pick up graded tests from Testing Center CLICK ON NUMBERS TO COMPLETE TASKS

TO-DO CHECKLIST  Mandatory TA training at New Classroom Building  Take professor’s textbook order to FSU Bookstore  Return books to Strozier Library  Deliver paperwork to Westcott Building  Pick up graded tests from Testing Center

Welcome to Strozier Library! Hi there, I’m the circulation supervisor, Sheree Landers. Professor Woods has had those books for quite a while now. You must be here to return them.

Welcome to Strozier Library! Hey…since you know Professor Woods so well, maybe you can help me with something. He asked me to pull some movies to show in the Physics for Non-Majors class that illustrate the principles of aerodynamics.

Welcome to Strozier Library! I found this one from the Discovery Channel called History of Flight, but I think the students would much rather see Top Gun. It has some great aerial shots in it! Which would you choose? History of Flight Top Gun

INCORRECT Rule #2 Details related to the instruction that are extraneous in nature depress learning (seductive details)

How Seductive Details Affect Learners Distract learners from key instructional points Disrupt learners’ organization of information Activate irrelevant prior knowledge

CORRECT Yeah, you’re right. I never thought that seductive details would depress learning, but it makes sense that details like those activate irrelevant prior knowledge. Well, I guess I’ll see you when you return this movie.

TO-DO CHECKLIST  Mandatory TA training at New Classroom Building  Take professor’s textbook order to FSU Bookstore  Return books to Strozier Library  Deliver paperwork to Westcott Building  Pick up graded tests from Testing Center CLICK ON NUMBERS TO COMPLETE TASKS

TO-DO CHECKLIST  Mandatory TA training at New Classroom Building  Take professor’s textbook order to FSU Bookstore  Return books to Strozier Library  Deliver paperwork to Westcott Building  Pick up graded tests from Testing Center

Welcome to Westcott Hello, I’m Wendy Barnes, executive assistant to the Dean of Graduate Studies. You’re dropping off some paperwork for your professor?

Welcome to Westcott Now I know all of the graduate teaching assistants have mandatory training on this stuff, so let me ask you a question. The dean asked me to create a video for a webinar on how to increase graduate student enrollment.

Welcome to Westcott I want to add images of graduate students at football games, working out at the Leach…basically images of them having fun! The dean said it isn’t relevant and to keep it simple. Who is right? Wendy The Dean

INCORRECT Rule #2 Details related to the instruction that are extraneous in nature depress learning (seductive details)

How Seductive Details Affect Learners Distract learners from key instructional points Disrupt learners’ organization of information Activate irrelevant prior knowledge

CORRECT Well, I suppose the dean is right. Images of graduate students having fun might sound like a good idea, but they are distracting and really have nothing to do with enrollment. Thanks for getting this paperwork to me!

TO-DO CHECKLIST  Mandatory TA training at New Classroom Building  Take professor’s textbook order to FSU Bookstore  Return books to Strozier Library  Deliver paperwork to Westcott Building  Pick up graded tests from Testing Center CLICK ON NUMBERS TO COMPLETE TASKS

TO-DO CHECKLIST  Mandatory TA training at New Classroom Building  Take professor’s textbook order to FSU Bookstore  Return books to Strozier Library  Deliver paperwork to Westcott Building  Pick up graded tests from Testing Center

Welcome to the Testing Center Hey there, I’m Tressa. Were you at the mandatory training this morning? I thought I saw you there. I’m a TA in the biology department, but I work here part-time too. You’re here to pick up some exams?

Welcome to the Testing Center So check this out…as soon as we got out of that training, my professor calls my cell phone and wants me to whip up a PowerPoint for her evening lecture tonight.

Welcome to the Testing Center I was listening to my iPod this morning at the training, so I didn’t hear anything that other TA said. I say use all the bells and whistles because most of the students fall asleep in class. What do you think? Bells & Whistles Keep It Simple

INCORRECT Rule #1 Using gratuitous visuals, text and sounds can hurt learning

We Tend To Want To Add… Dramatic video or text (to add interest) Background music (to add appeal) Popular movie characters or themes (to add entertainment value)

CORRECT Oh jeez, I should’ve paid attention during the training. I never thought that using too many visuals, text and sounds would negatively affect learning. Thanks for the tip…see you at the game on Saturday.

TO-DO CHECKLIST  Mandatory TA training at New Classroom Building  Take professor’s textbook order to FSU Bookstore  Return books to Strozier Library  Deliver paperwork to Westcott Building  Pick up graded tests from Testing Center CLICK ON NUMBERS TO COMPLETE TASKS