A Closer Look – Reading More into Mayer’s 12 Principles for Multimedia Learning

One of my course readings this week was Using multimedia for e-learning by Mayer (2017). In it, the author discussed 12 research-based principles for designing computer-based learning tools. As an ECE practitioner working with infants and toddlers, I initially had trouble relating it to my practice.

I do not use computer-based learning tools in my work, but as a practitioner living in the 21^st century, it behooves me to have the skills and knowledge to evaluate tools as they become more and more a part of our lives. The reality is that children have digital technologies available to them at younger and younger ages. These technologies are a part of most children’s and families’ lives where I practice. So, while I do not use these technologies with the children I interact with, I can’t predict the future and so should be able to make research-based decisions about what I include in my practice, as well as what I exclude from it. In the spirit of growth and understanding, I thought I would deepen my comprehension of the 12 principles that Mayer outlines by relating them to a multimedia tool that I am intimately familiar with – the picture book.

Multimedia

• Mayer describes multimedia as the combination of words and pictures to enhance learning. Words can be either spoken or written, and pictures can be either static or moving (such as animation).
• In a children’s picture book, both the written text of the story and the illustrations combine to enhance children’s learning. The varying degrees of quality in picture books can, in part, be explained by the following principles.

Reducing Extraneous Processing

Principles 2 through 6 all relate to increasing the efficiency of cognitive processing by reducing extra processing tasks. They are:

Coherence

• “People learn better when extraneous material is excluded” (Mayer, 2017, Table 1).
• When an illustrator includes images not related to the words in the illustrations, these act as distractions for children who are trying to process the meaning of the words and pictures. For example, in a book on farm animals, on the page labeled ‘Pig’ it would be distracting to have pictures of other animals alongside the pig.

Signalling

• “People learn better when essential material is highlighted” (Mayer, 2017, Table 1).
• In Wild Berries by Julie Flett (2013), the vocabulary words in Swampy Cree n dialect are highlighted by the red colour of the text, indicating that this is important material.

Redundancy

• “People learn better from graphics and narration than from graphics, narration, and on-screen text” (Mayer, 2017, Table 1).
• Honestly, I had trouble relating this to picture books, and the best I could come up with was comparing a felt-board story performance (no visible text) to a picture book narration. However, that crosses over into other principles like embodiment described further below. Perhaps there are limitations to using children’s picture books as a metaphor for everything. How disappointing. If you have ideas, I’d love to hear them!

Spatial Contiguity

• “People learn better when on-screen words are placed next to the corresponding part of the graphic” (Mayer, 2017, Table 1).
• For example, in a picture of a construction site, having the names of the machines and equipment next to the corresponding image helps to connect the written word to the object it is representing.

Temporal Contiguity

• “People learn better when corresponding narration and graphics are presented simultaneously” (Mayer, 2017, Table 1).
• It is easier for children to integrate the illustrations with the story if they can see the pictures as they are hearing the words, rather than having the reader first read the text aloud and then show the picture.

Managing Essential Processing

The following 3 principles are related to managing the cognitive processing of complex or difficult learning. They are:

Segmenting

• “People learn better when a multimedia lesson is presented in small, user paced segments” (Mayer, 2017, Table 2).
• For example, infant board books that depict a single word with only the corresponding image on each opening allow the user to absorb the material at their own pace before turning the page.

Pre-training

• “People learn better when they learn the key terms prior to receiving a multimedia lesson” (Mayer, 2017, Table 2).
• Through daily practice and through their knowledge of the children, practitioners are able to select picture books that reflect and expand on children’s knowledge and interests rather than introducing new topics without preparation. This is scaffolding as I know it. Building on a foundation of prior knowledge.

Modality

• “People learn better from a multimedia presentation when the words are presented in spoken form” (Mayer, 2017, Table 2).
• This is an obvious one for the children I work with since they do not yet read. Even for children who are able to read, if the material is complex, it is easier to understand if it narrated while you look at the illustration than if you are trying to reconcile the text with the illustration. This means that the child is processing the auditory information in conjunction with the visual information, rather than having two separate sources of visual information to reconcile.

Fostering Generative Processing

The following 3 principles discuss research-based methods for encouraging the learner to engage in greater depth with the material presented in a multimedia lesson.

Personalization

• “People learn better when the words in a multimedia lesson are presented in conversational style rather than formal style” (Mayer, 2017, Table 3).
• Some picture books draw the reader in by asking questions of the reader or making them part of the story. Books about body parts may talk about ‘your belly-button’ or ‘your toes’. Or they may say something like ‘here’s Teddy’s belly-button. Where is your belly-button?’. This draws children in and it’ more engaging to them than anybody’s old belly-button.

Voice

• “People learn better from a human voice than from a machine-like voice” (Mayer, 2017, Table 3).
• There are many battery-operated picture books out there where the child can push a button and here the corresponding sound or word. My experience with these types of books is that they are great for Pavlovian cause and effect learning. The child pushes a button and hears a mechanical voice. They aren’t however increasing the child’s understanding of the material presented in the book. Children seem to get more from books if someone reads the book to them, rather than just pushing a button over and over so that the mechanical voice continuously says ‘Triangle. Triangle. Triangle…”

Embodiment

• “People learn better when an on-screen agent uses human-like gestures and movement” (Mayer, 2017, Table 3).
• This point makes me wonder about the popularity of anthropomorphizing animals and inanimate objects in children’s books. Obviously, books are different from screens, but the idea of humanizing non-humans in order to teach concepts has been in practice from the earliest storytelling traditions. I have never liked the idea of vehicles having human-like faces and emotions, but they are ubiquitous in children’s literature (and toys). So, do children learn better with anthropomorphic animals and objects? Is this related to the principle of embodiment, or am I drawing a false correlation?

I am cognizant of the fact that the source article was specifically about e-learning, and by taking the tech out of the principles, I was sort of missing the point. I do feel that this exercise allowed me to engage more deeply with the concepts, even if it was a bit of a stretch. Yes, picture books are a multimedia learning tool, especially if they are narrated, as they frequently are in my practice. No, they are not computer-based. I could have examined all these principles through YouTube narrations of picture books, but since these are not part of my practice, it would have been disingenuous.

Did I learn something? Yes. Was it a bit of a stretch? Yes. Will I use the principles in my practice? Well, I have a new tool-set for choosing and reading books to my babies. That’s worthwhile. Maybe I’ll be able to use these principles for computer-based learning in the future. Who knows what infant practice will look like in 10 years!