Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning

• Mayer, is well known for his cognitive theory of multimedia learning. Mayer, (2003) says the following about learner centeredness, “it is not what is done to the learner, but how the learner interprets what happens, that is, on the learner’s personal experience” (p. 5). His theory is based upon several primary assumptions: There are two separate channels (auditory and visual) for processing information
• Each channel has a finite capacity, and the learner can only process a finite amount of information in one channel at a time
• The brain does not interpret a multimedia presentation of words, pictures, and auditory information in a mutually exclusive fashion; rather, these elements are selected and organized dynamically to produce logical mental constructs.
• Learning is an active process of filtering, selecting, organizing, and integrating information based upon prior knowledge, and the learner make sense of incoming information by actively creating mental representations.

Many of the design principles are based upon this theory. We will read more about this in the upcoming weeks as we delve deeper into our text book.

There are multiple key principles of cognitivism that have been applied to the educational environment and that you may find important in designing and implementing an e-learning course. Many of these, as stated earlier, are discussed in detail in your text book (Clark& Mayer, 2008); a few are identified here:

• Reflection upon content is important. In the online environment, an instructor can ask students to reflect upon the content to bring prior knowledge and experience to the forefronts of their minds.
• In order for learning to be meaningful, it should be relevant. In the online environment, an instructor or instructional designer may identify primary learner audience prior knowledge and background and relate instruction and assignments to learners’ backgrounds.

Example: A Reflection Activity from a Grant Writing Course After you have completed your tasks, reflect on the learning process and post your thoughts in your learning blog: Have you engaged in a previous activity that was similar to the grant writing process? What did you learn about while completing this task that you would not have learned from simply reading about grant proposals? What obstacles did you face in writing the grant proposal? How did you overcome the obstacles? What did you learn from the obstacles that you faced and conquered? How will this learning impact the next grant proposal you write? How will completing this task help you in the future as a human service professional?