Multimedia

Multimedia Learning: Empirical Results and Practical Applications
Peter E. Doolittle Virginia Tech ABSTRACT: Web-based multimedia represents the presentation of instruction that involves more than one delivery media, presentation mode, and/or sensory modality. The basis for the use of multimedia is the assumption that when the user interacts within these various methods they learn moremeaningfully. Recently, there has been an increase in the amount of multimedia research that is grounded in cognitive psychology. This research has begun to identify various design principles that are both theoretically grounded and educationally applicable. This session is designed to examine and provide examples of principles of effective multimedia design that are grounded in cognitive psychology.Defining Multimedia: Multimedia may be defined in multiple way, depending upon one’s perspective. Typical definitions include the following: • • • • Multimedia is the “use of multiple forms of media in a presentation” (Schwartz & Beichner, 1999, p. 8). Multimedia is the “combined use of several media, such as movies, slides, music, and lighting, especially for the purpose of education or entertainment”(Brooks, 1997, p. 17). Multimedia is “information in the form of graphics, audio, video, or movies. A multimedia document contains a media element other than plain text” (Greenlaw & Hepp, 1999, p. 44). Multimedia comprises a computer program that includes “text along with at least one of the following: audio or sophisticated sound, music, video, photographs, 3-D graphics, animation, orhigh-resolution graphics” (Maddux, Johnson, & Willis, 2001, p. 253).

The commonality among these definitions “involves the integration of more than one medium into some form of communication….Most commonly, though, this term now refers to the integration of media such as text, sound, graphics, animation, video, imaging, and spatial modeling into a computer system (von Wodtke, 1993)” (Jonassen, 2000, p.207). A Multimedia Framework: Investigating the effects of multimedia on learning and performance requires a solid foundation in learning theory. A theoretically-grounded investigation of multimedia allows one to draw conclusions relative to the learner, rather than attempting the slippery slope of a media comparison (see Clark, 1994; Lockee, Burton, & Cross, 1999). Bishop and Cates (2001)effectively synthesize information processing theory and communication theory as a foundation for the investigation of the use of sound in multimedia instruction. Another example of multimedia investigations that are grounded in cognitive theory includes the work of Richard Mayer (see Mayer, 1997, 1999; Mayer & Anderson, 1991, 1992; Mayer, Bove, Bryman, Mars, & Tapangco, 1996; Mayer & Gallini, 1990; Mayer& Heiser, & Lonn, 2001; Mayer & Moreno, 1998; Mayer, Moreno, Boire, & Vagge, 19999; Mayer, & Sims, 1994; Moreno & Mayer, 1999; Moreno, & Mayer, 2000; Moreno & Mayer 2001). Mayer has based the majority of his multimedia work on an integration of Sweller’s cognitive load theory (Chandler & Sweller, 1991; Sweller, 1999), Pavio’s dual-coding theory (Clark & Paivio, 1991; Paivio, 1986), and Baddeley’sworking memory model (1986, 1992, 1999). Mayer focuses on the auditory/verbal channel and visual pictorial channel, stating, I define multimedia as the presentation of material using both words and pictures….thus the definition of multimedia I use…is narrower than some other definitions….I have opted to limited the definition to just two forms – verbal and pictorial – because the research base incognitive psychology is most relevant to this distinction.”

Mayer bases his cognitive theory of multimedia learning on the following model.

Words

Ears

selecting words

Sounds

organizing words

Verbal Model integrating Prior Knowledge

Pictures

Eyes

selecting images

Images

organizing images

Pictorial Model

This model is based upon three primary assumptions...