Cognitive Load and Multimedia Learning

Multimedia learning has been part of my education for as long as I have been going to school. I remember that a good chunk of my elementary school years was spent playing educational games on the computer, where each student took turns with a word, math, or science program as the teacher’s assistant supervised. When I moved onto middle school, it wasn’t so much about the computer games anymore, but about using animations and sounds during class presentations. My teachers would create PowerPoint presentations with fun sounds and animations related to the topic, as well as use interactive websites. I found this especially useful for my science classes, where I was able to travel through the human body or perform heart surgery at the click of a button.

But what exactly is multimedia learning? In “Techniques That Reduce Extraneous Cognitive Load and Manage Intrinsic Cognitive Load during Multimedia Learning,” Richard E. Mayer and Roxana Moreno let us know that “multimedia lessons and agent-based simulation games—are forms of computer-based multimedia learning environments. They are multimedia learning environments because they involve words (e.g., printed or spoken words) and pictures (e.g. animation, video, illustrations, or photos).” (p.131).

Using multimedia in the classroom as a learning tool is a very significant concept that has been developed over the years. It is much easier to understand a science or math lesson when you can see the process being visualized for you. There is an infinite amount of knowledge out in the world and it would be impossible for anyone to process all of it; our information processing system is very limited. That is why it is important to reduce extraneous cognitive load and manage intrinsic cognitive load during multimedia learning. The cognitive theory of multimedia learning shows that people learn more effectively when specific visual and verbal materials are used to help trigger prior knowledge in order to keep information in their long-term memory.

The figure shows the cognitive theory of multimedia learning.

Sounds and images make it easier to capture the attention of students so that topics become fun, but it is not just done randomly. Mayer and Moreno show that proper cognitive science research is needed to conclude how different multimedia material affect a student’s learning ability. Research studies have focused on improving the use of multimedia on students so that the way they learn material is most effective. The authors of this paper helped me understand that not everything works with multimedia learning, such as having excess text or even excessive audio, regardless of it being related to the topic.  Researchers have been able to fine-tune what methods lead to the best test results. Many principles have been developed to create a multimedia learning system this is an effective one.

As a teacher, I want my students to learn through the best methods possible. Mayer and Moreno’s research only touches the iceberg of how multimedia tools affect learning, especially since technology is constantly developing. It is my duty as a prospective teacher to read up on these methods and see what would work best for me and my students.