Richard E. Mayer, and Roxana Morano
Research goal-how to use words and pictures to foster meaningful learning (deep understanding of the material, including mentally organizing it in a cognitive structure)
Off-Loading when One Channel is Overloaded with Essential Processing Demands
on-screen text and images shown–split attention effect since learner has to read and view images concurrently. Solution, present words as narration, rather than presenting text and images both in visual channel–this way you are utilizing verbal channel as well.
Project Example: Any camtasia type movie which provides narration coupled with animation: http://library.nyu.edu/tools/refworks/Movies.html
For my project where I’m providing information on library resources, under the manage section I’ll be providing videos on tools like the one above, which adheres to the presenting words as narration principle.
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Segmenting and Pretraining When Both Channels are Overloaded with Essential Processing Demands in Working Memory
overload of high-intrinsic load (conceptually complex info) in both verbal and visual channels
solution: segment information into bite size sections that don’t require continuous play w/out a break-allows for learner to select segments according to his or her cognitive capabilities.
solution: pretraining where learners receive prior instruction about what is to be learned
Project Example: in a class, give overview of the tool you are teaching, then show self-paced segmented movie and allow class to watch and learn at their own pace. for my project when showing a tool such as RefWorks, above, rather than providing a long movie that includes every aspect of the tool, i will provide several segments and allow the user to navigate to each segment as they wish. For example–logging on to RefWorks will be one segment; creating a folder will be another; adding BobCat searches to the folder; adding articles from databases into RefWorks, etc…..
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One or both channels are overloaded by the combination of essential and incidental processing
problem: one or both channels are overloaded by the combination of essential and incidental processing demands
too much essential processing of a learner who needs to engage both essential and incidental processing (essential and non-essential information)
solution: eliminate extraneous information
solution: signaling-when you can’t dump extraneous information, convey somehow which is essential and which is now.
Project Example: screen capturing software video showing the whole browser window in a search, for example. Create unified graphics such as green arrows, etc. to focus users attention on the section of the screen s/he should be paying attention to. My movies will provide such signaling
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Aligning and Eliminating Redundancy When the System is Overloaded by Incidental Processing Demands and Attributes to How the Essential Material is Presented
problem: one or both channels are overloaded by the combination of essential and incidental processing demands
same as above problem except in this case the essential information is presented in a confusing way.
solution: aligning words with pictures
provide pictures and corresponding text side-by-side, so user is not spending value cognitive ability trying to find the words that correspond with the image. provide words and images together, side-by-side, not one after the other.
solution: eliminate redundancy
don’t narrate words already provided on the screen
project example: I will be creating videos that don’t utilize on-screen text, but provide narration only in conjunction with graphics conveying the lesson in tandem with the narration
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Synchronizing and Individualizing When the System is Overloaded by the Need to Hold Information in Working Memory
one or both channels are overloaded by the combination of essential processing and representational holding
representational holding is: holding visual and / or verbal representations in working memory during the learning episode.
solution: synchronizing: synchronize visual and auditory material. temporal contiguity effect is eliminated when successive presentation is broken down into smaller pieces-working memory is not overloaded becuase only a small amount of material is being presented in sequence.
Project Example: As above, i will be providing brief videos conveying one area of a tool at a time; and will be synchronizing audio with graphics
