Principles of Multimedia Learning should be used to develop interesting and successful eLearning.
Mayer's ideas are supported by study and science, so applying them to an eLearning project is a safe method to make it more interesting and successful. Let's have a look at each one and see how you can start using it in your eLearning projects.
The principle of coherence states that people learn better when unnecessary words, visuals, and sounds are removed rather than incorporated.
The finest learning materials keep unnecessary content to a minimum. It's not going to help. Maintain a straightforward approach. Consider how many excessively thick, noisy, and messy presentations you've seen in the past. It's quite difficult to learn from such stuff.
• Excessive content might impede learning.
• Avoid needless information and distracting visuals.
• Keep everything focused on the goals.
When indicators that highlight the arrangement of the vital content are introduced, people learn better.
Guide attention through visual signals such as highlighting items, adding arrows, zooming in on items, and surrounding them with a glow to guide people's attention to whatever it is that they should be paying attention to.
People learn better from visuals and narrative than from graphics, narration, and on-screen text.
Narration or text can be used to explain pictures, but not both. Voice-over reading the paragraph, for example, breaches this concept and does not add to a positive learning experience.
When explaining graphics, avoid adding words on the screen. There are several exceptions, such as unknown words, key phrases, or concepts.
• Use narrative or text to explain images, but not both.
• When describing graphics, do not add text on the screen.
States that people learn better when corresponding words and images are shown next to each other on the page or screen rather than far apart.
• Align the words with the visuals they depict.
• Place the label next to the item being labeled.
• As the graphic or animation appears, explain it. In a graphic, for example, place labels near to what they are labeling.
People learn more effectively when comparable words and images are presented concurrently rather than sequentially.
People learn better when a multimedia course is given in user-paced parts rather than as a continuous unit.
• Divide the information and content into chunks based on the learner's prior knowledge and difficulty.
To create context for the student, provide crucial phrases and concepts prior to the learning experience. When utilizing those terms, reduce the cognitive strain.
Graphics and narrations are more effective in teaching than animation and on-screen text.
People learn more effectively when they are exposed to both words and images.
People learn more effectively from multimedia classes when the words are written in a conversational rather than formal way.
• Use a conversational tone, a real voice, and respectful language
(avoid academic tone)
• Emulate a human-to-human conversation
When the narration in multimedia classes is presented in a nice human voice rather than a machine voice, people learn better.
States that adding the speaker's image on the screen does not always improve learning from a multimedia course.
