How can we help students understand scientific systems? One promising approach involves multimedia presentations of explanations in visual and verbal formats, such as presenting a computer-generated animation synchronized with narration or on-screen text. In this paper, we present a cognitive theory of multimedia learning from which principles of instructional design are derived and tested. The split-attention principle states that learning is impaired when the presentation requires the learner to mentally integrate disparate sources of information before the instructional material can be rendered intelligible. The spatial contiguity principle states that it is better to present words and graphics integrated rather than physically separated. The temporal contiguity principle states that students learn better when corresponding words and pictures are presented simultaneously rather than successively. The modality principle slates that it is better to present words auditorily as narration than visually as on-screen text The coherence principle states that adding sufficient amounts of entertaining but irrelevant words or sounds to a multimedia instructional message is detrimental to student learning.
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