Principles for Using Multimedia in Your Course

Use media effectively in your class with Mayer’s 12 Principles of Multimedia Learning

Imagine it’s 5.30 p.m. on a Thursday, and your professor is lecturing about the concept of working memory while your memory wanders off elsewhere. Thankfully, I didn’t have to experience that because my professor in Foundations of Cognitive Sciences explained the concept very clearly with this video:

Teaching Strategies: Cognitive Load Theory by McGraw Hill

In 2014, Richard E. Mayer, a psychologist at the University of California, Santa Barbara, examined the effect of multimedia content. His research has since shown that the strategic use of multimedia can improve learning by reducing distractions, managing interest and focus, and fostering engagement (Mayer, 2021).

Mayer (2014) examined 12 different features of multimedia content that positively impact learning. Those 12 features developed into Mayer’s 12 Principles of Multimedia Learning. They apply to a wide array of multimedia content such as presentations, as discussed in this blog post: Creating Effective Presentations. These principles can help you assess and ensure that multimedia content enhances instruction.

As a student, I truly appreciate professors who use media in class purposefully and mindfully. Especially if we are using it as a catalyst for class discussions, it definitely sparks my interest and helps me maintain my focus and stay engaged.

To explore examples and strategies for multimedia use in your instruction, visit the Nexus Insight: Mayer's 12 Principles of Multimedia Learning.

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References

Mayer, R. E. (2021). Multimedia Learning (3rd ed). New York: Cambridge University Press.

Mayer, R. E. (2014). Research-based principles for designing multimedia instruction. In V. A. Benassi, C. E. Overson, & C. M. Hakala (Eds.), Applying science of learning in education: Infusing psychological science into the curriculum (pp. 59–70). Society for the Teaching of Psychology.