EDT 8210 WORKSHOP
Learning Objectives
The purpose of this online workshop is to highlight important concepts about the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning. By the end of this workshop, you will be able to:
- Describe the five cognitive architecture principles and the three cognitive load conditions of the cognitive load theory.
- Explain the three assumptions of the cognitive load theory of multimedia learning.
- Outline an effective multimedia instructional design that utilizes the redundancy, signaling, and coherence principles to maximize germane cognitive load.
Cognitive Load Theory
In this workshop, we discuss how cognitive load theory explains that knowledge is deliberately obtained through the explicit behaviors of teaching and learning (Paas & Sweller, 2014). There is a distinction between primary knowledge, which we easily acquire based on evolutionary developed skills such as listening, and secondary knowledge that we must be taught by others based on cultural requirements (Geary, 2012).
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While we don’t understand how the brain works as well as we understand computers, the cognitive architecture of the brain has been organized into five basic principles (Paas & Sweller, 2014):
- Information Store Principle: Long-term memory is critical to learning because if the information isn’t retained for future use, it wasn’t learned (Sweller & Sweller, 2006).
- Borrowing and Reorganizing Principle: Much of secondary knowledge comes from other people through imitation and listening, which are primary knowledge tasks, and from reading, which is a secondary knowledge task (Paas & Sweller, 2014). Learning from others increases fluency in acquiring and managing long-term memory.
- Randomness as Genesis Principle: Before knowledge can be transferred to others, it must be created through problem-solving by generating random solutions and testing their effect (Paas & Sweller, 2014). The ability to random generate and test itself is a primary knowledge task, but it can be used to gain secondary knowledge.
- Narrow Limits of Change Principle: Unlike a computer that can random generate and test a near-infinite number of solutions simultaneously, the brain’s processing capability is severely limited (Paas & Sweller, 2014). Working memory is limited both in capacity (Miller, 1956) and in duration (Peterson & Peterson, 1959). In contrast, long-term memory is indefinite in both size and duration (Paas & Sweller, 2014).
- Environmental Organizing and Linking Principle: Knowledge from either long-term memory or working memory is translated into appropriate action based on cues from the external environment (Paas & Sweller, 2014).
Using these five principles, to explain how the brain acquires, stores, and retrieves secondary information for use, cognitive load is divided into three categories (Paas & Sweller, 2014):
- Intrinsic Cognitive Load: Intrinsic load comes from the natural complexity of the information processed and is based on the degree of interactivity between the elements (Sweller, 2010). The more complex the interactions, the higher the amount of working memory required when initially learning it (Paas & Sweller, 2014). Intrinsic load must be managed to keep it from overloading the working memory.
- Extraneous Cognitive Load: Extraneous load doesn’t come from the relevant information; rather it is unnecessary complexity that comes from distractors that waste valuable memory processing capability (Paas & Sweller, 2014). Extraneous load is minimized by an effective instructional design.
- Germane Cognitive Load: Germane load is the amount of working memory resources consumed by intrinsic load minus the amount consumed by extraneous load (Paas & Sweller, 2014). It’s the germane cognitive load that creates long-term memory, so it is maximized by an effective instructional design.
Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning
The cognitive theory of multimedia learning explains why people learn better from a combination of pictures and words, rather than from words alone (Mayer, 2014). The theory has three key assumptions:
- Dual-Channel Assumption: Visual and verbal information are processed simultaneously through separate channels of the sensory and working memories.
- Limited-Capacity Assumption: Each of the two channels can only process a small amount of information at a time. This is consistent with the "narrow limits of change principle" of the cognitive load theory.
- Active Processing Assumption: Meaningful learning is the result of intentional cognitive processing by the working memory to select and organize the information coming through the sensory channels, and then integrate the new information with prior knowledge before storing it into the long-term memory.
Key Instructional Design Principles/Concepts
The cognitive theory of multimedia learning involves selecting, organizing, and integrating information that comes in through two sensory channels. An effective multimedia instructional design facilitates comprehension of verbal and visual inputs while minimizing cognitive overload caused by irrelevant and/or repetitive data. There are three principles that instructional designers can utilize when creating multimedia instructional materials.
Redundancy Principle: When learners have sufficient prior knowledge and cognitive ability to create their own mental images, simultaneous presentation of the same material in both the visual and verbal channels inhibits learning by creating cognitive overload (Merrienboer & Kester, 2014). Eliminating redundancy, such as the reading of printed text aloud, allows instructional designers to reduce waste of valuable cognitive processing resources.
Redundancy Principle: When learners have sufficient prior knowledge and cognitive ability to create their own mental images, simultaneous presentation of the same material in both the visual and verbal channels inhibits learning by creating cognitive overload (Merrienboer & Kester, 2014). Eliminating redundancy, such as the reading of printed text aloud, allows instructional designers to reduce waste of valuable cognitive processing resources.
Signaling Principle: The placement of cues into the learning materials guides the learner’s attention to relevant and essential elements (van Gog, 2014). Signaling allows instructional designers to intentionally direct the learners’ attention to those relevant elements, which increases the effectiveness of the learning material as measured by the rates of learner retention and transfer (van Gog, 2014). Text-based and picture-based cues also support the spatial contiguity principle by facilitating the integration of separately presented materials (Folker et al, 2005) without creating a redundancy effect that decreases learner attentiveness (van Gog, 2014).
Coherence Principle: Excluding extraneous information helps people learn better (Mayer & Fiorella, 2014). Sometimes instructional designers give in to the temptation to include extra pictures or words that illustrate, or "spice up," an aspect of the topic, but aren't relevant to the intended instructional goal (Mayer & Fiorello 2014). Instructional designers following the coherence principle eliminate unnecessary text and pictures from the learning materials.
Refutation as an Instructional Strategy
A learner’s current conception provides a framework to evaluate the validity of the new information, but the need to reject the current belief if there is a discrepancy can result in a barrier to learning (Araisi & Mason, 2014). For science learners, such as those that I teach, refutation text is most helpful since this style of text directly acknowledges pre-existing conceptions, refutes them as incorrect, and then presents the correct conception as a viable alternative (Hynd, Qian, Ridgeway, & Pickle, 1991). In the study described by Araisi & Mason (2014), refutation science text reduced working memory processing requirements for less-experienced learners and provided co-activation of new scientific concepts by providing anchoring to existing knowledge.
Video: Putting Concepts into Action
Please watch this instructional video on the use of the three instructional principles and refutation text to effectively design multimedia instructional materials.
References:
Araisi, N., & Mason, L. (2014). From covert process to overt outcomes of refutation text reading: The interplay of science text structure and working memory capacity through eye fixations. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 12, 493-523.
Geary, D. (2012). Evolutionary educational psychology. In K. Harris, S. Graham, & T. Urdan (Eds.), APA Educational Psychology handbook, (vol. 1, pp. 597-621). Washington, DC: American Psychosocial Association.
Hynd, C., Qian, G., Ridgeway, V., & Pickle, M. (1991). Promoting conceptual change with science texts and discussion. Journal of Reading, 34, 596-601.
Mayer, R. E. (2014). Cognitive theory of multimedia learning, In Mayer, R. E. (Ed.), The Cambridge handbook of multimedia learning (2nd ed.), (pp. 43-71). New York: Cambridge University Press.
Mayer, R. E., & Fiorella, L. (2014). Principles for reducing extraneous processing in multimedia learning: Coherence, signaling, redundancy, spatial contiguity, and temporal contiguity principles, In Mayer, R. E. (Ed.), The Cambridge handbook of multimedia learning (2nd ed.), (pp. 279-315). New York: Cambridge University Press.
Merrienboer, J. J. G. & Kester, L. (2014). The four-component instructional design model: Multimedia principles in environments for complex learning, In R. E. Mayer (Ed.), The Cambridge handbook of multimedia learning (2nd ed.), (pp. 104-148). New York: Cambridge University Press.
Miller, G.A. (1956). The magical number seven, plus or minus two: Some limits on our capacity for processing information. Psychological Review, 63, 81-97.
Paas, F., & Sweller, J. (2014). Implications of cognitive load theory, In R. E. Mayer (Ed.), The Cambridge handbook of multimedia learning (2nd ed.), (pp. 27-42). New York: Cambridge University Press.
Peterson, L., & Peterson, M. (1959). Short-term retention of individual verbal items. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 58, 193-198.
Sweller, J. (2010). Element interactivity and intrinsic, extraneous, and germane cognitive load. Educational Psychology Review, 22, 123-128.
Sweller, J., & Sweller, S. (2006). Natural information processing systems. Evolutionary Psychology, 4, 434-458.
Geary, D. (2012). Evolutionary educational psychology. In K. Harris, S. Graham, & T. Urdan (Eds.), APA Educational Psychology handbook, (vol. 1, pp. 597-621). Washington, DC: American Psychosocial Association.
Hynd, C., Qian, G., Ridgeway, V., & Pickle, M. (1991). Promoting conceptual change with science texts and discussion. Journal of Reading, 34, 596-601.
Mayer, R. E. (2014). Cognitive theory of multimedia learning, In Mayer, R. E. (Ed.), The Cambridge handbook of multimedia learning (2nd ed.), (pp. 43-71). New York: Cambridge University Press.
Mayer, R. E., & Fiorella, L. (2014). Principles for reducing extraneous processing in multimedia learning: Coherence, signaling, redundancy, spatial contiguity, and temporal contiguity principles, In Mayer, R. E. (Ed.), The Cambridge handbook of multimedia learning (2nd ed.), (pp. 279-315). New York: Cambridge University Press.
Merrienboer, J. J. G. & Kester, L. (2014). The four-component instructional design model: Multimedia principles in environments for complex learning, In R. E. Mayer (Ed.), The Cambridge handbook of multimedia learning (2nd ed.), (pp. 104-148). New York: Cambridge University Press.
Miller, G.A. (1956). The magical number seven, plus or minus two: Some limits on our capacity for processing information. Psychological Review, 63, 81-97.
Paas, F., & Sweller, J. (2014). Implications of cognitive load theory, In R. E. Mayer (Ed.), The Cambridge handbook of multimedia learning (2nd ed.), (pp. 27-42). New York: Cambridge University Press.
Peterson, L., & Peterson, M. (1959). Short-term retention of individual verbal items. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 58, 193-198.
Sweller, J. (2010). Element interactivity and intrinsic, extraneous, and germane cognitive load. Educational Psychology Review, 22, 123-128.
Sweller, J., & Sweller, S. (2006). Natural information processing systems. Evolutionary Psychology, 4, 434-458.
About the Author
I have been a nurse for twenty-three years, but I've only been a nurse educator for the last five. So, I'm interested in learning more about the research into the scholarship of teaching and learning (SOTL). I want my nursing students to master everything I teach -- both for their professional development and for the safety of their patients.
I am a life-long learner, so I fully embrace the concept that we have to purposefully pay attention to the knowledge opportunities around us. As a teacher, I see myself as the facilitator of finding opportunities.
I am a life-long learner, so I fully embrace the concept that we have to purposefully pay attention to the knowledge opportunities around us. As a teacher, I see myself as the facilitator of finding opportunities.
"It is the one who does the work, who does the learning." --- Doyle (2008)