Prior Knowledge Principle in Multimedia Learning

Mayer, R.E. (Ed.) (2005). Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning. New York: Cambridge. [Chapter 21]


Prior knowledge principle: concerns integrating instructional information in working memory with already existing information in long term memory. 
Instructional designers should consider this principle and design according to the change in levels of learners.


multimedia principle: words and picture rather than words alone or picture alone.
modality principle: uses animation and narration, rather than animation and text. 
contiguity principle: words and visual images are synchronized in time (or continuous in space).
signalling principle: learner's attention is directed to appropriate elements by highlighting or flashing.
interactivity principle: learner can control the presentation by clicking, etc
worked-out examples principle: learners learn with examples that guide the learner, rather than exploring with no guidance. 


Kalyuga gives an example of an instruction that uses all these principles. And compares this example with an instruction that has an alternative format, which doesn't have auditory or visual text, but only has a diagram. 
Novice learners learned better from the former instruction but as they get to know the domain better, latter instructions became more effective. As levels of learners knowledge in a domain changed, relative effectiveness of  different instructional formats reversed. This explains the expertise reversal effect.  


Prior Research
Prior knowledge principle is an example of Aptitude-Treatment Interaction (ATI) between learner characteristics and instructional treatments.
Many research done by Mayer (1999, 2001), Mayer and Gallini (1990), Mayer et al. (1995), Ollerenshaw et al. (1997) that confirmed the prior knowledge principle.
Hegarty et al. (1999) didn't get a benefits from narration and animation because the student's prior knowledge was not taken into account.
Pollock et al. (2002) claimed that isolated-interacting elements only benefited low knowledge learners. (for complex systems are high in element interactivity and this causes more elements in working memory, but in this experiment, learners saw brief headings of sequential steps as isolated elements with no details.)


Kalyuga et al. (1998, 2000, 2001) found the effect of levels of expertise of a learner on effectiveness of different multimedia formats.
Kalyuga et al. (1998) text and diagram was better for low knowledge learners, and only diagram was better for high knowledge learners.
Kalyuga et al. (2000) found that instructional formats that include modality principle are effective for low knowledge learners but these instructions become redundant for high knowledge learners.
Kalyuga et al. (2001) found that worked-out example principle often more effective but as the learners become more experiences in the domain, the effect disappears.


Limitations on Research
Research on prior knowledge is an extension of ATI approach. 
A major limitation is the limited number of studies of new techniques for better instructional presentations considering learner's level of knowledge.


Prior Knowledge Principle in Cognitive Theory
-an important factor of individual differences.
-schematic knowledge held in long term memory is most important for learning.
-schemas kept in long term memory are brought into working memory while learning new instructions. With these schemas, high-knowledge learners can treat many elements of related information as a single element. This reduces the cognitive load. 
-redundant information and hence cognitive overload occurs when there is a cognitive conflict between available and presented cognitive.: expertise effect
-detailed information interfere with retrieval of schemas 


Prior Knowledge Principle and Instructional Design
-instructions should be designed according to the levels of learners expertise.
-should be done like scaffolding: providing novice learners with information but gradually reducing support as levels of expertise increase.