1. MULTIMEDIA
An overview

2. Definition?
A multimedia instructional message is a communication using
words and pictures that is intended to promote learning.
For example, a multimedia instructional message in a book
could include printed text and illustrations, whereas a
multimedia instructional message on a computer could include
narration and animation.
Richard Mayer (2003) p.21
Multimedia Learning

3. MULTIMEDIA DESIGN
7 principles of multimedia design

4. 7 principle of multimedia design
 Multimedia principle: Students learn better from words and pictures than from
words alone.
 Spatial Contiguity Principle: Students learn better when corresponding words
and pictures are presented near rather than far from each other on the page or
screen.
 Temporal Contiguity Principle: Students learn better when corresponding words
and pictures are presented simultaneously rather than successively.
 Coherence Principle: Students learn better when extraneous
words, pictures, and sounds are excluded rather than included.
 Modality Principle: Students learn better from animation and narration than from
animation and on-screen text.
 Redundancy Principle: Students learn better from animation and narration than
from animation, narration, and on-screen text.
 Individual Differences Principle: Design effects are stronger for low-knowledge
learners than for high-knowledge learners and for high-spatial learners rather
than low-spatial learners.

5. VISUAL DESIGN
Perceptions and colour

6. Perceptions

7. Colour
 Fashion
Colours go in and out of fashion. Bright
colours are used to demand attention and
make a statement. Designers of luxury items
want their products to appear reputable and
durable, and be seen to outlast the fashion of
the day; gaudy colours such as bright pinks
and yellows are unlikely.

8. Colour
 The environment
Australians live in a hot, dry environment so
often use cool colours (such as pastel tints) in
their buildings to make their physical
environment seem cooler. In a European
environment that is predominantly cold you
tend to see warm, bright primary
colours, creating a cheerful, cosy illusion.

9. Colour
 Culture
Culture and history shape colour choice. If you
visit Asia you will find temples painted in
bright, primary colours. A European church is
more likely to have more sombre colours.

10. 4 DESIGN PRINCIPLES
CRAP

11. Contrast
 Contrast can be the most important visual aspect of a page. The
principle is to avoid elements on the page that are merely similar
– if they are not the same – then make them VERY different.
Purpose:
 To create interest
 Aid in the organisation of information
 Supports visual hierarchy
 Eg. use of colour

12. Repetition
 Repeat visual elements throughout – colour, shape, etc.
Develops organisation and strengthens the unity.
Purpose:
 To unify and add interest
 For consistency
 Eg. navigation, colour identifiers, layout – anything your learner
may visually recognize.
 Avoid repeating the element so much that it becomes annoying
and distracts from the message

13. Alignment
 Nothing should be placed on your page randomly. Every element
should have some visual connection with another element on the
page.
 This creates a clean, sophisticated look.
Purpose:
 To unify and organize your page design
 Be conscious of where you place your elements – always try to
find something that aligns them
Avoid:
 More than 1 type of text alignment on the same page
 Don’t always centre align

14. Proximity
 Items relating to each other should be group close
together. Items in close proximity become one visual unit
rather than several separate, unrelated units.
Purpose:
 Reduces clutter and confusing your reader
 Organizes information – reduces cognitive load
 Logical information is more likely to be remembered

15. Resources
 http://www.colorschemedesigner.com/
 http://onlinelearning2007.wikispaces.com/Multi
media+Learning
 http://web.cs.dal.ca/~inkpen/CSCI4161/4161_l
ecture4.pdf
 http://www.webstyleguide.com/wsg3/12-
multimedia/index.html
 http://www.uky.edu/~gmswan3/544/9_ways_to
_reduce_CL.pdf

16. References and acknowledgements
 Mayer, Richard E. & Moreno, Roxana 2003, Nine Ways to Reduce
Cognitive Load in Multimedia Learning in Educational
Psychologist, 38 (1), pp43-52.
Clark, Ruth Colvin & Mayer, Richard, 2002, e-Learning and the
Science of Instruction, Pfeiffer, USA.
 Gotz, V. 1998, Color & Type for the Screen, Rotovision
SA, Switzerland
 Kristof, Ray & Satran, A 1995, Interactivity by Design – Creating &
Communicating with New Media, Adobe Press, USA
 Lynch, Patrick J. & Horton, Sarah 1999, Web Style Guide – Basic
Design Principles for Creating Web Sites, Yale University Press.
 Williams, Robin 1994, The Non-designer’s Design Book, Peachpit
Press, USA
 This presentation is adapted from the 2009 E-learning Design
Activity Guide compiled by Anne Bartlett-Bragg.