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Group Remix a Multimedia Principle Chapter

On June 23, 2020

Chapter 7: The Multimedia Principle

Butcher describes the Multimedia Principle as the “finding that learning with words and pictures is more effective than learning with words alone” (p.174). This principle also provides justification and context for researching “when, how, why, and under what conditions” other multimedia principles may help or hinder one’s learning and it unveils the criteria for creating effective multimedia learning materials (Butcher, p.174-175). Originally, the principle was “focused on text combined with (static or animated) illustrations” while today, it refers to “learning supported by varied forms of visual and verbal content when presented in combination” such as narration with graphs, photographs, diagrams, and charts (Butcher, p.174-175). When choosing or creating an impactful multimedia tool, diagrams (abstract and/or concrete) have been found to, when supplemented by accompanying verbal content, “[facilitate] the development of accurate mental models, [enhance] knowledge integration, better knowledge application and [enable] superior [knowledge] transfer” (Butcher, p.181-183).

Photo by Dennis Scherdt on Unsplash

The Multimedia Principle helps students understand difficult topics—a study by Clinton et al. found that when undergraduate students studying complex probability have access to resources with text accompanied by relevant visuals, they “develop a verbal mental model” through “deeper processing of the text” and a “visual mental model” that makes them “more likely to make connections among different ideas” (p.579-581).

An aspect of cognitive learning that supports and helps explain the Multimedia Principle’s success is the Dual Coding Theory (Butcher, p.193). This theory demonstrates how the human brain stores audio and imagery information in two different “short-term channels” that work together to summarize concepts before transporting them to long term memory (MacMahon, 2013). In EDCI 337, both the Multimedia Principle and the Dual Coding Theory are present in our H5P Toolkit creations, annotations, Canva’s, and sketchnotes through their uses of verbal and visual content in tandem to engage, motivate and encourage knowledge recall and transfer.

Research

Many lab-based studies have been conducted on the effects of the Multimedia Principle. Mayer & Anderson (1992) found the combination of narration and animation to facilitate learning (Butcher, p.177). Mayer & Anderson’s ideas in multimedia led to the creation of modality, voice, and image principles (Mayer, 2014). In 1993, Hegarty & Just found students learn more thoroughly through the combination of diagrams and text: their findings emphasize the effectiveness of diagrams which was the first form of multimedia (The “Orbis Pictus”) that is also still used ubiquitously today (Comenius & Bardeen & Hoole, 1887). Cuevas, Fiore, & Oser supported this, with their own research on the use of diagrams for teaching the principles of flight (Butcher, p. 177).

Click here for a closer look at the Orbis Pictus annotation!

In 2004, Rieber, Tzeng, & Tribble found that incorporating interactive models into multimedia lessons supports learning (Butcher, p. 177). Models such as erosion displays, gravity examples, and DNA manipulatives allow students to experience abstract topics in a more tangible way. Videos like Crash Course, which teach a concept through animated scenes and moving diagrams, display this idea through supporting their lectures with animations and moving diagrams.

In these studies, the methods of testing remain uniform. Butcher reveals how research in multimedia assesses learning outcomes through “[memory/retention tests] for instructional materials” and “tests of deeper understanding” such as “transfer tests” and “mental models” of instructional materials (p. 179). These tests have been found to prove how multimedia lessons create better outcomes in deeper understanding tests (short answer & inference) than memory tests(multiple-choice, matching, true/false) (Butcher, p.179).

With ever-changing technologies, Butcher states technology’s role in multimedia instruction is under-researched. For this reason, teachers must make informed decisions on whether to use a technological multimedia tool. Alsadhan et al. maintain that the “successful delivery of e-learning” relies on the “design, development and implementation of high-quality multimedia content” (2014, p.26). When more multimedia technology research is conducted, educators can fine-tune their tools and techniques to create lessons supported by research.

Photo by Eco Warrior Princess on Unsplash

Graphics and Visuals

Furthermore, Butcher discusses the effects of visuals on the learner, and how different learning objectives require different visual formats. Initially, the purpose of static illustrations is examined and it is found that “adding static diagrams or illustrations to a verbal (text or audio) presentation frequently facilitates a deeper understanding of the to-be-learned material” (Butcher, p.181). An article by Kari Jabbour (2012) supports this claim by investigating the types of graphics that foster deeper levels of learning. For example, decorative graphics are often “used to inspire instructional display by adding artistic appeal or humor, but [have] no real instructional target” (Kari Jabbour, p.13). When incorporating graphics in a lesson, it is critical to eliminate unnecessary information and have an equal balance of text and visuals.

Moreover, Butcher discusses the evolution of dynamic visuals, and how animations in particular influence learning objectives, “animation is better for task[s] that are complex, but if a diagram can be mentally animated, this is more beneficial for the learner” (Butcher, p.184-185). Butcher discusses how animations are useful when performing procedural tasks but are not necessarily useful when attempting to retain information (p.184). This implies that depending on the learning task, the type of graphic “serves a different purpose and is best aligned with specific instructional goal[s], stages of learning… and the learner’s knowledge level” (Kari Jabbour, p.15). The article then suggests thatvisuals created by the learner will support a deeper level of understanding as students must process the information and apply it to something (Butcher, p.188).

The Canva and YouTube video as shown above are examples of static versus dynamic visuals. Depending on the type of learning, an educator needs to choose which visual style is better suited for an activity. Click here to get a closer look at the static visual.

Implications and Limitations of the Multimedia Principle

Butcher concludes the chapter by outlining the implications and limitations of Multimedia Instructional Designand the importance of understanding your unique learners. Shah & Khan (2015) support this idea by stating “multimedia [tools] provide a variety of learning styles at the same time to cater to the requirements of different students” (p.350). Butcher summarizes the findings of multimedia visual and auditory stimuli options through the following benefits: simplifying visuals using well organized semantic models, integrating verbal and visual information both abstractly and concretely; using necessary animations/cues/spotlights, considering existing knowledge for connection making, and allowing students to create their own representations when possible (Butcher, p.194-195). Upon reflection on these findings, the implementation of multimedia in the classroom appears to be a viable option for student success. Through the use of multimedia tools, “learners become active participants in the teaching and learningprocess instead of being passive learners” (Shah & Khan, p.356).

Click here for a closer look at the Sketchnote!

While research on multimedia has provided great insight into helping students learn through verbal and visual means, there are some limitationsto these studies. Educators must take into account the lab setting (which varies greatly from a real-life classroom), the fact that multimedia tools may need to be scaffolded, how effective self-directed online teaching is, and that multimedia in technology requires more research (Butcher, p. 195-197). As new technologies are developed, the Multimedia Principle continues to evolve. Despite its evolution, the idea that learners can benefit from more than one form of instruction (visual and verbal content in combination) remains a timeless and successful pedagogical truth.

References

Alsadhan, A. O., Alhomod, S., & Shafi, M. M. (2014). Multimedia based E-learning : Design and integration of multimedia content in E-learning.International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (iJET), 9(3), 26-30. doi:10.3991/ijet.v9i3.3308

Butcher, K. (2014). The Multimedia Principle. In R. Mayer (Ed.), The Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning (Cambridge Handbooks in Psychology, pp. 174-205). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CBO9781139547369.010

Clinton, V., Alibali, M.W., & Nathan, M.J., (2016) Learning About Posterior Probability: Do Diagrams and Elaborative Interrogation Help?, The Journal of Experimental Education, 84:3, 579-599, DOI: 10.1080/00220973.2015.1048847

Comenius, J. A., Bardeen, C. W., Hoole, C. (1887). The Orbis Pictus of John Amos Comenius. United States: C.W. Bardeen.

Kari Jabbour, K. (2012). Multimedia Principle in Teaching Lessons. Acta Didactica Napocensia, 5(4), 11-16.

MacMahon, C. (2013, January 15). Dual Coding Theory & Multimedia Learning. [Video file]. https://vimeo.com/57440483

Mayer, R. E. (Ed.). (2014). The Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning(2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139547369

Shah, I., & Khan, M. (2015). Impact of Multimedia-aided Teaching on Students’ Academic Achievement and Attitude at Elementary Level. US-China Education Review A, 5(5), 349-360. doi:10.17265/2161-623x/2015.05a.006

Multimedia Learning- Blog #1

by laurenmclean

On June 6, 2020

In edci337-blog, Uncategorised

Throughout my education, I have many experiences with multimedia learning and traditional learning. One of the main ones that I can remember was in my grade 10 History class. We were reading from a traditional textbook, taking notes, writing papers, and taking traditional multiple-choice tests. A couple of different multimedia learning opportunities were used and encouraged as well.

One instance of this was YouTube videos such as the “Crash Course” channel.
My teacher was able to pick specific videos that would give a condensed summary of a topic that we were learning. He would introduce these after we had read the chapter and he had lectured about the material. This allowed for the material to be shown in many forms and to be understood from multiple different mediums.

The “Crash Course” videos are a great example of multimedia learning. They include a person narrating throughout the video, drawings, and animation. There are two pictorial representations, drawings, and animation, which increase the visual stimuli. Additionally, it most prominently uses narration rather than a written form of communication, supporting the “modality principle” that specifies that visuals combined with narration rather than written text increase learning (Mayer, 2014). The narrator also is featured in the video where he can be seen using “human-like gestures and movements”, has (at least for Canada and the United States) a non-forgiven accent and is speaking in a more conversation like narrative, all supporting the “Personalization, voice, embodiment, and image principles” (Mayer, 2014). These videos use technology in an engaging way that increases student comprehension of the material. For visual learners, this quick summary video can help to solidify material that was unclear in the readings.

I enjoyed this use of multimedia learning as it was a step away from the traditional PowerPoint that is often overused as a way of implementing multimedia learning in the classroom. It was a supplemental resource that could be watched again at home and was engaging. The history was conveyed in a story-like narrative that according to AJ Juliani increased comprehension as all parts of cognition are being used (Juliani, 2016).

Upon further research I found that they now have Crash Course Kids. This takes the same format but includes content for a younger audience. This is a great resource for elementary age students.

Another example was a presentation style that I was asked to use in my grade 10 English class. Instead of a PowerPoint with lots of text, few pictures, and myself narrating over it, I was asked to instead use only visuals on the PowerPoint and narrate based on these picture prompts. This forced the listeners to focus in on what the presenter was saying as there was no text to distract or fall back on. It also utilized both visuals and narration rather than visuals and text which, again, the “modality principle” stresses (Chapter 1, p.8). It was an interesting step away from how presentations are traditionally given and made for a memorable experience.

Juliani, A. J. (2016, March 21). The Hidden Importance of Teaching With Stories. Retrieved June 5, 2020, from http://ajjuliani.com/hidden-importance-teaching-stories/

Mayer, R. (2014). Introduction to Multimedia Learning. In R. Mayer (Ed.), The Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning (Cambridge Handbooks in Psychology, pp. 1-24). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CBO9781139547369.002

Fitness and Nutrition Exploration

by laurenmclean

On March 22, 2020

In Free Inquiry, Uncategorised

Over the course of this term I feel that I had some success and some failure. As far as fitness goes I think I was moderately successful. I did the Fiton exploration for four weeks which I really enjoyed. It took the stress of planning a workout out of the picture. I also learned that I like working out from home sometimes. It allows me to do it whenever I want, reduced the overall time it takes as there is no travel time and I feel less “gym intimidation”. This was something that I didn’t think was going to happen. I thought in order to get a good workout in I would need to be in a more gym dedicated space, but turns out I could work up a sweat just as well in my living room as a gym.

While doing this I also explored green smoothies. I found a recipe that I really liked and was genuinely looking forward to drinking it everyday. I felt that it started my day off in a healthier way rather than the traditional bagel or ego waffle while running out the door like I usually do. That being said I did this for about 2 months and then gave up. I started waking up later which meant I did not have time in the morning to make a smoothie and I returned to the easy cereal or toast.

I also watched “Forks Over Knives”. While an interesting concept and one that I would not mind leaning towards, I did not feel that I had the time, resources or cooking skills to completely adapt my diet in this time. The idea of eating more plant based and less processed is one that ideally I would do, but I struggle with how to do it in a healthy way. I feel that I do not know how to eat in that way while still getting enough of my daily protein and micronutrients.

Finally, I did circuit workouts out with my dad doing circuit training. This was nice as I felt like I had a personal trainer and it fit the final piece of the puzzle into what it will take for me to make working out a lifetime thing. I really need a buddy who will create accountability for myself. I was doing all these workouts by myself and was struggling to get the motivation to do them. When I went home I was much more motivated as I had my dad there to support and push me through the workout.

Overall, I feel that I was able to jump start by fitness back into a place where going into summer I will be able keep building on my strength rather than start from scratch. I have more motivation to keep going and have already started a fitness challenge with my family and friends while in quarantine. As far as nutrition goes, I could have done better. I did not put a lot of effort into refining my diet. I was more cognizant about what I put in my body and tried to have more fruits and veggies, but to be honest most weeks I would have one or two good meals a day and then snack on junk food that night. This is something that this summer I want to try to tackle as I feel like something in my diet is making me tired all the time. I want to see if when I transfer to a more whole foods diet if I will be more energetic.

Through this process I learned that it is really important to go in with a plan. I had a loose plan, but I felt that as the weeks went on I was more and more lost on how to keep the inquiry going. When it is about fitness I felt like it was hard to do “checks ins” on my fitness as I was starting from scratch essentially. It wasn’t like between week 1 and 2 there was much progress. From week 1 to 8 there is, which can be noted, but it was hard to find things to write about that were not repetitive.

My advice then for conquering an inquiry would be make it something you are interested in or some goal you have wanted to always achieve. For me I wanted to use this blog as my source of accountability. So inquiry can be a way to push yourself to learn to sing, knit, draw etc. Something you have always wanted to learn. It does not have to be a topic exploration it can be a skill exploration.