Multimedia Learning

Richard E. Mayer

Cambridge University Press, Apr 23, 2001 - Psychology - 210 pages

For hundreds of years verbal messages - such as lectures and printed lessons - have been the primary means of explaining ideas to learners. In Multimedia Learning Richard Mayer explores ways of going beyond the purely verbal by combining words and pictures for effective teaching. Multimedia encyclopedias have become the latest addition to students reference tools, and the world wide web is full of messages that combine words and pictures. Do these forms of presentation help learners? If so, what is the best way to design multimedia messages for optimal learning? Drawing upon 10 years of research, the author provides seven principles for the design of multimedia messages and a cognitive theory of multimedia learning. In short, this book summarizes research aimed at realizing the promise of multimedia learning - that is, the potential of using words and pictures together to promote human understanding.

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User Review -

Book Review: Multimedia Learning by Richard Mayer
By: Donald Hawkins
Classroom presentations have evolved from overhead projectors to multimedia presentations. It would not be difficult to identify a modern student who has encountered a negative experience with poor Powerpoint presentations. Common signs of a poor presentation include the use of paragraphs of text populating each slide. The assumption the teacher makes, is because the content is presented on the slide, then the students should be ingesting the learning. To accompany this poor style of presentation, the teacher will verbally recite each slide, with the purpose of reinforcing the learning.
These are all symptoms of poor use of multimedia learning. There are several major academic texts that present empirical research toward improving the fundamental use of multimedia for the use of learning. Richard Mayer’s Multimedia Learning presents scientific explanations for professors, teachers and trainers who create, design and deliver various forms of multimedia learning. The major question proposed is, Do people learn better when using multimedia in contrast to simple written text. Mayer’s cognitive theory specifically ascribes to a “Dual Channel Assumption” which basically assumes that humans have separate information processing channels for verbal and pictorial information. Students are limited in the amount of visual and auditory information that can be understood and retained. Mayer encourages teachers to change the way they think and teach with multimedia technology.
While there are many other books that reference this concept, Mayer’s work is a staple within the academic world of learning. While Mayer presents fundamental concepts that would improve every teachers use of multimedia, he also backs up his statements with data extracted directly from the classroom. This is a highly recommended text for teachers, specialists, designers and evaluators of seeking to apply effective multimedia technology in a wide variety of learning environments. 

User Review -

This is a classic in the field of instructional design. It is based on a series of empirical studies from the 1990s. Instructional design researchers should consider this and other similar works by Richard Mayer and his colleagues. A second edition of this classic was published in 2009.

Contents

• The Promise of Multimedia Learning: 1
• What Is Multimedia?: 2
• The Case for Multimedia Learning: 3
• Three Views of Multimedia Learning: 5
• Two Views of Multimedia Messages: 8
• Two Metaphors of Multimedia Learning: 12
• Three Kinds of Multimedia Learning Outcomes: 15
• Two Kinds of Active Learning: 17
• Multimedia Instructional Messages: 21
• How Lightning Storms Develop: 22
• How Brakes Work: 30
• How Pumps Work: 35
• Conclusion: 39
• A Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning: 41
• Three Assumptions of a Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning: 42
• Five Steps in a Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning: 53
• Examples of How Three Kinds of Presented Materials Are Processed: 58
• Conclusion: 61
• Multimedia Principle: 63
• Introduction: 64
• Research on Multimedia: 72
• Spatial Contiguity Principle: 81
• Introduction: 82
• Research on Spatial Contiguity: 88
• Implications: 93
• Temporal Contiguity Principle: 96
• Introduction: 97
• Research on Temporal Contiguity: 102
• Implications: 111
• Coherence Principle: 113
• Student Learning is Hurt When Interesting but Irrelevant Words and Pictures Are Added to a Multimedia Presentation: 115
• Student Learning is Hurt When Interesting but Irrelevant Sounds and Music Are Added to a Multimedia Presentation: 123
• Student Learning is Improved When Unneeded Words Are Eliminated from a Multimedia Presentation: 128
• Implications: 132
• Modality Principle: 134
• Introduction: 135
• Research on Modality: 141
• Implications: 144
• Redundancy Principle: 147
• Research on Redundancy: 154
• Implications: 157
• Individual Differences Principle: 161
• Questions about Multimedia Learning: 162
• Role of Learners Existing Knowledge: 163
• Role of Learners Spatial Ability: 172
• Implications: 179
• Principles of Multimedia Design: 183
• Five Questions About Multimedia: 186
• The Contributions and Challenges of Research on Multimedia Learning: 192
• REFERENCES: 195
• AUTHOR INDEX: 203
• SUBJECT INDEX: 207

Bibliographic information

• Title: Multimedia Learning; Multimedia Learning, Richard E. Mayer
• Author: Richard E. Mayer
• Edition: illustrated, reprint
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2001
• ISBN: 0521787491, 9780521787499
• Length: 210 pages
• Subjects: Psychology / Cognitive Psychology & Cognition; Psychology / General