Mayer's Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning

The design concept of Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning was originated by Richard Mayer. It is based on the belief that basic multimedia education with pictures and words alone is not adequate and effective enough as a learning technique. Instead knowledge of the brain’s processes is necessary to achieve a greater understanding of effective ways of using multimedia resources that coincides with the way the brain works. Multimedia in this case is defined as any environment where material is presented in more than one format. Any presentation that contains visual aids would qualify.

Mayer’s Cognitive Theory consists of three main principles:

1. Information is processed in two ways, auditory and visually similar to Dual-Coding Theory.
2. There is a capacity for the amount of information processed similar to the theory of Cognitive Load.
3. Learning is a constant and active process of filtering information.

Mayer also discusses how as new information is received, the brain constantly creates mental pictures of the material and is then stored.

There are three memory stores discussed by this theory:

1. Sensory which takes stimuli and stores it for short periods of time.
2. Working which actively processes information and makes schemes out of them.
3. Long-term is the ending place for all information learned.

Taking this into consideration, in the classroom, material should be constructed into logical schemes and integrating prior knowledge with the current material being learned. A teacher should guide the student into choosing relevant words and images, organizing them into effective models, integrating these models and then connect them to prior knowledge.

Citation

Mayer, R. E.; R. Moreno (1998). “A Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning: Implications for Design Principles”. http://www.unm.edu/~moreno/PDFS/chi.pdf.