Contiguity Principle

Lesson Objectives

After this lesson, students will be able to identify and demonstrate examples of the Multimedia and Contiguity Principles through examples.

Multimedia Principle

Information presented with text and pictures provide for deeper learning than compared to text alone.

The pictures in these steps make it easier to understand the instructions.

Do visuals really make a difference? Well, remember those cell models in high school? Imagine how much harder it would have been to memorize the structures without a visual representation. .

Take a look at some examples that do NOT follow the Multimedia Principle.

This website shows a graphic of the weather, but the written description is below.

This picture is considered a decorative graphic becauseit does not help readers to understand the text.

These set of instructions are set apart from the pictures. Followers would have a better understandingif the text and pictures were connectedin some way.

Contiguity Principle

People learn with more ease when text is located close to the visuals it describes or when spoken word and visuals are presented at the same time.

For the novice driver, having the visual and text provide for deeper understanding.

This is not a good example of the Contiguity Principle. The text and picture are separated.

This graph shows an example of the Contiguity Principle because the words are located closely to the picture it represents. We can easily read the graph.

In this graph the words are not close to the pictures it represents. This graph requires more effort to read and interpret.

Here is another example of a web site using the Contiguity Principle. The question and answer are on the same page.

This web site breaks the fundamentals of the Contiguity Principle. The user has to scroll down to the bottom of the page, past other stories to get to the questions.

Assessment

Which of the following give an accurate picture of the Multimedia Principle?

Assessment

Right on! The one on the left adds meaningful words to the picture.

Which one of these used the Multimedia Principle to show the Swine Flu infection numbers?

The picture on the right gives data withing the picture. The one on the right only gives words and numbers.

According to the Contiguity Principle, which of these below would most help someone to tie a tie?

Bingo! The directions are located next to the pictures.

Answer these questions true or false.

1. The Multimedia Principle can include the use of sound that goes along with a visual presentation.

2. The Contiguity Principle allows for pictures and words to separated on the screen they appear.

3. These principles are designed to enhance the quality of learning and decrease the level of frustration on the part of the learner.

Answers

1. The Multimedia Principle can include the use of sound that goes along with a visual presentation. True

2. The Contiguity Principle allows for pictures and words to separated on the screen they appear. False

3. These principles are designed to enhance the quality of learning and decrease the level of frustration on the part of the learner. True

SourcesClark, R.C., Mayer, R. E. (2008). E-Learning and the Science of Instruction.

San Francisco, Pfeiffer.

Flickr Creative Commons images

http://www.tv411.org/reading/

www.pearsonlongman.com/ae/marketing/sfesl/florida/.../grade8.pdf

www.noaa.gov