MULTIMEDIA

An overview

Definition?

A multimedia instructional message is a communication using words and pictures that is intended to promote learning.

For example, a multimedia instructional message in a book could include printed text and illustrations, whereas a multimedia instructional message on a computer could include narration and animation.

Richard Mayer (2003) p.21

Multimedia Learning

MULTIMEDIA DESIGN

7 principles of multimedia design

7 principle of multimedia design Multimedia principle: Students learn better from words and pictures

than from words alone. Spatial Contiguity Principle: Students learn better when corresponding

words and pictures are presented near rather than far from each other on the page or screen.

Temporal Contiguity Principle: Students learn better when corresponding words and pictures are presented simultaneously rather than successively.

Coherence Principle: Students learn better when extraneous words, pictures, and sounds are excluded rather than included.

Modality Principle: Students learn better from animation and narration than from animation and on-screen text.

Redundancy Principle: Students learn better from animation and narration than from animation, narration, and on-screen text.

Individual Differences Principle: Design effects are stronger for low-knowledge learners than for high-knowledge learners and for high-spatial learners rather than low-spatial learners.

VISUAL DESIGN

Perceptions and colour

Perceptions

Colour

Fashion Colours go in and out of fashion. Bright colours are used to demand attention and make a statement. Designers of luxury items want their products to appear reputable and durable, and be seen to outlast the fashion of the day; gaudy colours such as bright pinks and yellows are unlikely.

Colour

The environment Australians live in a hot, dry environment so often use cool colours (such as pastel tints) in their buildings to make their physical environment seem cooler. In a European environment that is predominantly cold you tend to see warm, bright primary colours, creating a cheerful, cosy illusion.

Colour

Culture Culture and history shape colour choice. If you visit Asia you will find temples painted in bright, primary colours. A European church is more likely to have more sombre colours.

4 DESIGN PRINCIPLESCRAP

Contrast

Contrast can be the most important visual aspect of a page. The principle is to avoid elements on the page that are merely similar – if they are not the same – then make them VERY different.

Purpose: To create interest Aid in the organisation of information Supports visual hierarchy

Eg. use of colour

Repetition

Repeat visual elements throughout – colour, shape, etc. Develops organisation and strengthens the unity.

Purpose: To unify and add interest For consistency

Eg. navigation, colour identifiers, layout – anything your learner may visually recognize.

Avoid repeating the element so much that it becomes annoying and distracts from the message

Alignment

Nothing should be placed on your page randomly. Every element should have some visual connection with another element on the page.

This creates a clean, sophisticated look.

Purpose: To unify and organize your page design Be conscious of where you place your elements – always try

to find something that aligns them

Avoid: More than 1 type of text alignment on the same page Don’t always centre align

Proximity

Items relating to each other should be group close together. Items in close proximity become one visual unit rather than several separate, unrelated units.

Purpose: Reduces clutter and confusing your reader Organizes information – reduces cognitive load Logical information is more likely to be

remembered

Resources

http://www.colorschemedesigner.com/ http://onlinelearning2007.wikispaces.co

m/Multimedia+Learning http://web.cs.dal.ca/~inkpen/CSCI4161/4

161_lecture4.pdf http://www.webstyleguide.com/wsg3/12-

multimedia/index.html http://www.uky.edu/~gmswan3/544/9_wa

ys_to_reduce_CL.pdf

References and acknowledgements

Mayer, Richard E. & Moreno, Roxana 2003, Nine Ways to Reduce Cognitive Load in Multimedia Learning in Educational Psychologist, 38 (1), pp43-52. Clark, Ruth Colvin & Mayer, Richard, 2002, e-Learning and the Science of Instruction, Pfeiffer, USA.

Gotz, V. 1998, Color & Type for the Screen, Rotovision SA, Switzerland

Kristof, Ray & Satran, A 1995, Interactivity by Design – Creating & Communicating with New Media, Adobe Press, USA

Lynch, Patrick J. & Horton, Sarah 1999, Web Style Guide – Basic Design Principles for Creating Web Sites, Yale University Press.

Williams, Robin 1994, The Non-designer’s Design Book, Peachpit Press, USA

This presentation is adapted from the 2009 E-learning Design Activity Guide compiled by Anne Bartlett-Bragg.