MULTIMEDIA LEARNING DESIGN AND

THEIR EFFECTS ON LEARNER PERCEPTIONS AND

EXPERIENCES

Main speaker : RAJABALEE Yousra

2nd Speaker : SANTALLY M Issack

3rd Speaker : COOSHNA-NAIK Dorothy

Virtual Centre for Innovative Learning TechnologiesUniversity of Mauritius

Problem Statement

Split-attention elements in Multimedia Learning Environments can hinder the learning experience of the learner

(Richard Mayer 2005)

Increase in cognitive load

Reduction in Performance in transfer tests and mental representations

Poor Learning Experience (mainly related to usability)

Multimedia Learning

When words and pictures are presented together as in a narrated animation, students perform well both on retention and transfer tests.

(Mayer & Anderson, 1991, 1992)

(Mayer, 2005)

Multimedia learning as response strengthening

Multimedia learning as information acquisition

Multimedia learning as knowledge construction

Split Attention Effects

......effect that is perceived to have a negative impact on learners due to poor design approaches for multimedia instructional materials.

.....states that when designing instruction, including multimedia instruction, it is important to avoid formats

• that require learners to split their attention between, and

• that require learners to mentally integrate multiple sources of information that are separate in temporal or physical dimensions/locations

(Mayer 2001)

Mousavi et al (1995) postulate that when learners are required to mentally integrate multiple sources of information, whether simultaneously or successively, very often such task, increases their cognitive load.

Aims of this research

Investigate the effects of MLEs that divide attention of learners compared to MLEs that cater for such phenomenon on the learning experiences of the learner

What are the students’ perceptions with respect to the pedagogical usefulness and usability of the learning environments?

What are the observed effects on the learning experience in terms of excess effort and cognitive load imposed on the learner when good principles of multimedia learning design are not followed?

Methodology

What are the students’ perceptions with respect to the pedagogical usefulness and usability of the learning environments?

Learners will have to do a concept map of the unit to enable subject matter expert to judge the depth of understanding

Methodology

What are the observed effects on the learning experience in terms of excess effort and cognitive load imposed on the learner when good principles of multimedia learning design are not followed?

Expert Observation has been used (Psychophisiological Measures)

Unit Completion Time has been recorded (Analytic and Performance Measures)

Focus group discussion to get learner’s own perceptions (Subjective Measures)

Methodology

Cohort of 32 students

Non-split attention environment

Group B(16 students)

Split attention environment

Group A(16 students)

Data Gathering Methods

Expert Observation by Researcher

List of criteria

C1 Ease of locating and accessing relevant information

C2 Ease of connection between auditory and visual information

C3 Extent of user distraction and engagement of student attention

C4 Frequency of going back and forth between screens

Data Gathering Methods

Focus Group Discussion

The focus group discussion was conducted using open ended questions and students’ views and opinions were recorded. The questions were enumerated in such a way to expect answers that can fall within the following areas namely:

• Design of Environment, usability aspects and information flow (extraneous load)

• Difficulty level (intrinsic load)• Pedagogical use of animation and other media elements and

learner control (germane load)

Principles of Design: Split-attention Environment

Design rationale 1Non-synchronised on-screen text followed by audio

Design rationale 2 Texts are displayed from two opposite extremities of the screen

Design rationale 3 Multimedia material includes animation and on-screen text that are displayed simultaneously but on two opposite extremities of the screen

Design rationale 4 Increasing visual displays to create cognitive overload

Design rationale 5 Overloading visual working memory

Design rationale 6 Limited user-control on the learning material

Principles of Design: Non-split Attention Environment

Design improvement 1On-screen text is synchronised with the audio

Design improvement 2 Information is centrally provided, rather than on two extremities of the screen.

Design improvement 3 Limiting the use of multiple visual modalities that distract the learner from the main focus.

Design improvement 4 Allow learner control over the timing, pace and sequence of the presentation of the learning material

Findings: Effects on Cognitive Load

Split-attention Environment

Non-split AttentionEnvironment

Average time taken by students 49 54.3

It appears that split-attention element had an effect on cognitive load

However, a t-test (t=-1.48) with a 95% confidence interval reveals that there is no significant difference between the mean time taken to complete the learning units by the two groups.

In the focus group discussion, learners claimed that they had to shift slides a number of times

Findings: Effects on Cognitive Load

Split-attention Environment

Non-split AttentionEnvironment

Average amount of back and forth clicks

2.25 4.42

Standard deviation 1.9 5

Learners claimed that they had to shift slides a number of times

A t-test (t=1.08) with 95% confidence interval again reveals no significant difference between the average number of back and forth clicks to a particular screen with respect to the learning environments.

During the focus group discussions most students who were exposed to the split-attention environment revealed that they felt subjected to high cognitive load when going through the unit.

Findings: Effects on Understanding

During the Focus Group Discussion, Split-attention Environment students highlighted that:

they had to go back several times to read and re-read the contents

had to view and review the animation

they did not have the choice of muting the sound and sometimes it distracts attention to listen to the voice when their main priority is to watch an animation visually

they had to switch back and forth the screens to view the contents disturbed them as they mentioned they could forget what they just saw

Findings: Effects on Understanding

During the Focus Group Discussion, Non-split Attention Environment students highlighted that:

the use of audio helped a lot in understanding

they did not really use the audio transcript to view the information as the audio was enough

the on-screen displays were explicit, especially the animation

Summary of Findings

This leads to a reflection on the role that extraneous loads that relate to interaction design and usability aspects have in the design of multimedia learning environments.

Besides the technology and the pedagogy, usability forms part of the triad that constitute a learning design framework for such environments.

The theory that the combination of text, sound, images including animations can be beneficial for the learner, can be reinforced.

In a learner-centred context each student needs to be treated on an individual basis with personal characteristic, learning style and preferences.

In such self-learning environments, it is not perceived to be good educational practice if the one-size-fits-all concept is applied to cohorts of students.

Conclusion

There are a panoply of important elements to design sound educational multimedia materials. They can be summarised as below:

• Pedagogical Approaches (instructional design, assessment methods)

• Learner preferences (pace of presentation, multiple or single modalities, holistic or sequential processing etc)

• Adherence to Multimedia Learning Principles (cognitive load theory, metaphors of multimedia learning, usability elements, user-centred design etc)

THANK YOU

Main speaker : RAJABALEE Yousra

2nd Speaker : SANTALLY M Issack

3rd Speaker : COOSHNA-NAIK Dorothy

Virtual Centre for Innovative Learning TechnologiesUniversity of Mauritius