1. Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning
MOHAMED ZAMRI BIN MOHD ZAIN
INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN AND DELIVERY
MASTER OF INSTRUCTIONAL MULTIMEDIA

2. Richard E Mayer
Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) since 1975.
Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Michigan in 1973
Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology at Indiana University from 1973 to 1975.
Recipient of the E. L. Thorndike Award for career achievement in educational psychology in 2000
Winner of Distinguished Contribution of Applications of Psychology to Education and Training Award from the American Psychological Association 2008.
INTRODUCTION

3. Research Interest ?
Dr. Mayer's research concerns the intersection of cognition, instruction, and technology, including:
multimedia learning
mathematical problem solving
human-computer interaction
"How can we help people learn in ways that allow them to use what they have learned to solve new problems that they have never seen before?"
INTRODUCTION

4. Publications
Author of more than 390 publications including 23 books, such as Multimedia Learning: Second Edition (2009), Learning and Instruction: Second Edition (2008), E-Learning and the Science of Instruction: Second Edition (with R. Clark, 2008), and the Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning (editor, 2005).
INTRODUCTION

5. Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning
Based on three main assumptions:
there are two separate channels (auditory and visual) for processing information;
there is limited channel capacity; and
that learning is an active process of filtering, selecting, organizing, and integrating information.
THEORY

6. Basic Principles
Brain does not interpret a multimedia presentation of words, pictures, and auditory information in a mutually exclusive fashion; rather, these elements are selected and organized dynamically to produce logical mental constructs.
“multimedia principle” states that “people learn more deeply from words and pictures than from words alone”
THEORY

7. Assumption of Multimedia Learning
There are two separate channels (auditory and visual) for processing information (sometimes referred to as Dual-Coding theory);
Each channel has a limited (finite) capacity (similar to Sweller’s notion of Cognitive Load);
Learning is an active process of filtering, selecting, organizing, and integrating information based upon prior knowledge.
THEORY

8. Cognitive Process of Multimedia Learning
Selecting relevant material occurs when a learner pays attention to appropriate words and images in the presented material. This process involves bringing material from the outside into the working memory component of the cognitive system.
Organizing selected material involves building structural relations among the elements. This process takes place within the working memory component of the cognitive system.
Integrating selected material with existing knowledges involves building connections between incoming material and relevant portions of prior knowledge. This process involves activating knowledge in long term memory and bringing it into working memory.
Three processes that are essential for active learning are selecting relevant material, organizing selected material and integrating selected material with existing knowledge
( Mayer, 1996, 2001; Wittrock, 1989).
THEORY

9. Memory Stores in Multimedia Learning
sensory (which receives stimuli and stores it for a very short time),
working (where we actively process information to create mental constructs (or ‘schema’), and
long-term (the repository of all things learned). 
THEORY

10. Sensory Memory
Words
Pictures
Ears
Eyes
Sounds
Images
Verbal
Model
Pictorial
Prior
Knowledge
selecting
words
images
organizing
integrating
MULTIMEDIA
PRESENTATION
SENSORY
MEMORY
WORKING
LONG-TERM
Pictures and words come in form the outside world as a multimedia presentation and enter sensory memory through eyes and ears. Sensory memory allows for pictures and printed text to be held as exact visual images for a very brief time period in a visual sensory memory and for spoken words and other sounds to be held as exact auditory sensory memory.
THEORY

11. Working Memory
Words
Pictures
Ears
Eyes
Sounds
Images
Verbal
Model
Pictorial
Prior
Knowledge
selecting
words
images
organizing
integrating
MULTIMEDIA
PRESENTATION
SENSORY
MEMORY
WORKING
LONG-TERM
The central work of multimedia learning takes place in working memory. Working memory is used for temporally holding and manipulating knowledge in active consciousness
THEORY

12. Long Term Memory
Words
Pictures
Ears
Eyes
Sounds
Images
Verbal
Model
Pictorial
Prior
Knowledge
selecting
words
images
organizing
integrating
MULTIMEDIA
PRESENTATION
SENSORY
MEMORY
WORKING
LONG-TERM
Long term memory correspond to the learner’s storehouse of knowledge. Unlike working memory, long term memory can hold large amount of knowledge over long periods of time. To actively think about material in long term memory, it must be brough into working memory back.
THEORY

13. PowerPoint Overload
Most PowerPoint presentations look a particular way because the PowerPoint tool has features that make particular tasks easy.
Unfortunately, many PowerPoint features and techniques contradict current research in cognitive science.
We can no longer expect our audiences to adapt to our PowerPoint features; instead we have to change our own thinking to conform to a more relevant principle:
The design of PowerPoint presentations should be compatible with how people learn.
APPLICATION

14. Question to Designer
Does the presentation take advantage of the dual-channel structure of the human information processing system, by presenting complementary material in words and pictures?
Does the presentation take into consideration the limited capacity of the information processing channels, by minimizing the chances of overloading the cognitive system?
Does the presentation promote active cognitive processing by guiding the processes of selecting, organizing, and integrating information?
APPLICATION

15. Solutions
Our understanding of the way the mind works has three implications for PowerPoint:
PowerPoint presentations should use both visual and verbal forms of presentation;
Filling the slides with information will easily overload people's cognitive systems; and
Presentations should help learners to select, organize, and integrate presented information.
A set of research-based principles to reduce cognitive load in PowerPoint:
The Signaling Principle
The Segmenting Principle
The Modality Principle
The Multimedia Principle
The Coherence Principle
APPLICATION

16. Signaling Principle
Research finding: people learn better when the material is organized with clear outlines and headings (the Signaling Principle).
Instead of writing a Title, write a Headline that explains the main idea of every slide.
Summarize the single overriding idea of the slide in clear and conversational language.
APPLICATION

17. Segmenting Principle
Research finding: People learn better when information is presented in bite-size segments (the Segmentation Principle).
Break up information through your PowerPoint by referring back frequently to the Slide Sorter view.
Your story should have an even pace from one slide to the next, without long pauses on any single slide.
Where your pauses are long, or you have much to say, those are signs that you need to break up that slide into more slides.
If you have too many slides for the time you have to speak, return to Slide Sorter view and think about ways you can distill your story down to its essence.
APPLICATION

18. Modality Principle
Research finding: People understand a multimedia explanation better when the words are presented as narration rather than on-screen text (the Modality Principle).
Reduce visual overload by moving text off-screen, and shift processing to the auditory channel by narrating the content instead.
The elegant way to accomplish this in PowerPoint is to use the Notes Page view. Instead of just including “Notes” below, write out your story there in narrative form.
APPLICATION

19. Multimedia Principle
Research finding: people learn better from words and pictures than from words alone (the Multimedia Principle).
It’s not easy to turn your words into pictures, but the first three techniques in this paper can help set the stage:
writing headlines helps you clarify what you want to illustrate,
breaking up your story into digestible bites reduces the amount of information to visualize
moving text off screen opens up more space in the area above for images.
APPLICATION

20. Coherence Principle
Research finding: people learn better when extraneous material is excluded rather than included (the Coherence Principle).
Cut everything out of your PowerPoint slides that does not support your main idea. Keep things simple.
Cut all text on screen you are not going to narrate.
Remove corporate logos unless you think people will forget who you are.
Delete complex, patterned backgrounds in your PowerPoint template that have nothing to do with the content of your slide.
APPLICATION

21. Way of Human Mind in Multimedia
Regardless technology and software development, the way human mind and learning will remain. The theory of multimedia learning offers us as Instructional Designer, humanistic ways to design our instructional multimedia to success
CONCLUSION

22. References
Mayer, R. E. (2009). Multimedia learning (2nd ed). New York: Cambridge University Press.
Clark, R. & Mayer, R. E. (2008). E-learning and the science of instruction (2nd ed). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Mayer, R. E. (2008). Learning and Instruction (2nd ed). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice-Hall.
Mayer, R. E. (Ed). (2005). Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Mayer and Moreno, (2003) A Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning: Implications for Design Principles at
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