Segmenting, Pre-training and Modality Principles

Mayer, R.E. (Ed.) (2005). Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning. New York: Cambridge. [Chapter 11]


concise narrated animation contains essential material
essential material: is needed to understanding the material (not extraneous material which is not needed to understand)
if concise narrated animation containing complex material given at a fast rate result can be essential overload
essential overload: occurs when the amount of cognitive processing for understanding the multimedia instruction exceeds the learner's cognitive capacity.
essential processing: cognitive processing required make sense out of the essential material.
cognitive capacity: total amount of processing a learner can achieve in working memory by both visual and auditory channels.


Three principles for multimedia design that can minimize the essential overload:
Segmenting: people learn more deeply when a multimedia message is presented in user-paced segments rather then continuous unit.
Pre-training: people learn more deeply from a multimedia message when they know the names and characteristics of the main concepts. 
Modality: people learn more deeply from a multimedia message when the words are spoken rather than printed.


Two essential overload scenarios:
1) e.g a narrated animation about a complex system presented in a fast pace
essential processing overloads both (visual and auditory) channels
to reduce the essential overload:
-segmenting principle  allows time between the segments and slows the pace
-pre-training principle: pre-training in the names ad characteristics of the concept equips the learner with prior knowledge


2) e.g animation with concurrent on screen text presented on a fast pace
essential overload in visual channel 
to reduce this overload:
-modality principle: present words as narration rather than printed helps transfer some of the overload in visual channel to auditory channel


Research:  all done on low knowledge learners
Research on segmenting principle: segmented group vs continuous group,  segmented group performed better in transfer tests.
Research on pre-training principle: pre-training vs no pre-training group, pre-training group performed better in transfer tests
Research on modality principle: graphics-and-printed-words group vs graphics-and-spoken-words group, people scored better on transfer tests after learning with graphics and narration.