Multimedia learning occurs when students build mental representations from words and pictures
that are presented to them (e.g., printed text and illustrations or narration and animation). The
promise of multimedia learning is that students can learn more deeply from well-designed multimedia
messages consisting of words and pictures than from more traditional modes of communication
involving words alone. This article explores a program of research aimed at determining
(a) research-based principles for the design of multimedia explanations—which can be called
methods, and (b) the extent to which methods are effective across different learning environments—
which can be called media. A review of research on the design of multimedia explanations
conducted in our lab at Santa Barbara shows (a) a multimedia effect—in which students
learn more deeply from words and pictures than from words alone—in both book-based and
computer-based environments, (b) a coherence effect—in which students learn more deeply when
extraneous material is excluded rather than included—in both book-based and computer-based
environments, (c) a spatial contiguity effect—in which students learn more deeply when printed
words are placed near rather than far from corresponding pictures—in both book-based and computer-
based environments, and (d) a personalization effect—in which students learn more deeply
when words are presented in conversational rather than formal style—both in computer-based
environments containing spoken words and those using printed words. Overall, our results provide
four examples in which the same instructional design methods are effective across different media.
%0 Journal Article
%1 Mayer_2003_multimedia-learning
%A E.Mayer, Richard
%D 2003
%J Learning and Instruction
%K cognitive_models learning
%P 125-139
%T The promise of multimedia learning: using the same instructional design methods across different media
%V 13
%X Multimedia learning occurs when students build mental representations from words and pictures
that are presented to them (e.g., printed text and illustrations or narration and animation). The
promise of multimedia learning is that students can learn more deeply from well-designed multimedia
messages consisting of words and pictures than from more traditional modes of communication
involving words alone. This article explores a program of research aimed at determining
(a) research-based principles for the design of multimedia explanations—which can be called
methods, and (b) the extent to which methods are effective across different learning environments—
which can be called media. A review of research on the design of multimedia explanations
conducted in our lab at Santa Barbara shows (a) a multimedia effect—in which students
learn more deeply from words and pictures than from words alone—in both book-based and
computer-based environments, (b) a coherence effect—in which students learn more deeply when
extraneous material is excluded rather than included—in both book-based and computer-based
environments, (c) a spatial contiguity effect—in which students learn more deeply when printed
words are placed near rather than far from corresponding pictures—in both book-based and computer-
based environments, and (d) a personalization effect—in which students learn more deeply
when words are presented in conversational rather than formal style—both in computer-based
environments containing spoken words and those using printed words. Overall, our results provide
four examples in which the same instructional design methods are effective across different media.
@article{Mayer_2003_multimedia-learning,
abstract = {Multimedia learning occurs when students build mental representations from words and pictures
that are presented to them (e.g., printed text and illustrations or narration and animation). The
promise of multimedia learning is that students can learn more deeply from well-designed multimedia
messages consisting of words and pictures than from more traditional modes of communication
involving words alone. This article explores a program of research aimed at determining
(a) research-based principles for the design of multimedia explanations—which can be called
methods, and (b) the extent to which methods are effective across different learning environments—
which can be called media. A review of research on the design of multimedia explanations
conducted in our lab at Santa Barbara shows (a) a multimedia effect—in which students
learn more deeply from words and pictures than from words alone—in both book-based and
computer-based environments, (b) a coherence effect—in which students learn more deeply when
extraneous material is excluded rather than included—in both book-based and computer-based
environments, (c) a spatial contiguity effect—in which students learn more deeply when printed
words are placed near rather than far from corresponding pictures—in both book-based and computer-
based environments, and (d) a personalization effect—in which students learn more deeply
when words are presented in conversational rather than formal style—both in computer-based
environments containing spoken words and those using printed words. Overall, our results provide
four examples in which the same instructional design methods are effective across different media.
},
added-at = {2008-03-05T15:41:12.000+0100},
author = {E.Mayer, Richard},
biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/20d6742be088870eb1aacdfcfffc9fa97/tobold},
interhash = {1609f6ff84b5f74b95be7d74d14b1dc4},
intrahash = {0d6742be088870eb1aacdfcfffc9fa97},
journal = {Learning and Instruction},
keywords = {cognitive_models learning},
pages = {125-139},
timestamp = {2008-03-05T15:41:12.000+0100},
title = {The promise of multimedia learning: using the same instructional design methods across different media},
volume = 13,
year = 2003
}