Blog Post #1

Topic: Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning

For my first blog entry I’ve decided to explore the cognitive theory of multimedia learning first proposed by Richard Mayer. Mayer is known for his work as an educational psychologist and is credited with finding correlations between effective problem solving facilitated with the use of multimedia learning. This is due to how the brain processes information through different channels; one for visually represented materials (pictures, videos, etc.) and one for auditory information (spoken words, lectures, etc.). Mayer goes on to say that the presence of two different channels of information processing allows for a learner to work with more information as there is less mental overload if the material being delivered is split between these two different cognitive pathways. We are able to see real life examples of this during lectures which have supplemental PowerPoint slides that include diagrams and other infographics which help students to better visualize and therefore retain information.

It should be noted that not all multimedia learning components are equal in their ability to relay information to a student/learner. In order for students to actively process information any and all multimedia forms included in an instructional capacity should represent the information in its simplest form so as to make the material more understandable. A “bad” example of a multimedia component within a lesson would be the inclusion of an infographic which contains irrelevant jargon that is specific to a niche field and does not otherwise relate to course material.

References:

McGraw Hill Canada (2021, May 13). Richard Mayer’s Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning. Retrieved from https://www.mheducation.ca/blog/richard-mayers-cognitive-theory-of-multimedia-learning