EDUC 633 Webliograpy of Clark & Mayer Chapters 7 & 8

Written by Dale Hicks and Otis Jones

You can also read Otis' blog at http://otisimotech.wordpress.com/
Summary

Chapter 7 talks about practical suggestion that people learn better from concurrent graphics and audio than from concurrent graphics, audio, and on screen text. The technique redundant refers to redundant printed text (on-screen text) because the same text is translated into spoken text. Clark & Mayer suggests that the psychological advantage of presenting words in audio alone is to avoid overloading of the visual channel of working memory. There is some benefits of use for redundant on-screen text that is called boundary conditions.

Clark & Mayer (2008) based their theory on cognitive psychology. They recommend that we avoid e-learning courses that contain redundant on-screen text presented at the same time as on-screen graphics and narration. They claim that comparing and reconciling on-screen text and narration will cause the cognitive learning process inconsequential to learning the content.

Psychological reasons for the redundancy principle are based on the belief that some people learn by visual learning and others by verbal learning styles. Therefore, it seems that words should always be presented in both spoken and printed form so learners can choose the presentation format that best matches their learning preferences (Clark & Mayer, 2008). The learning styles hypothesis base its information from the acquisition theory for multimedia learning that refers to learning consists of receiving information.

            Clark and Mayer (2011) present what they call the coherence principle.  This principle addresses the use of extraneous audio, graphics, and words in an attempt to increase interest in e-learning lessons.  Some educators try to increase student learning experiences by adding audio enhancements like background music or sound effects.  Sometimes, extra graphics, extremely detailed graphics, or graphics with additional wording are used for a similar effect.  The wording may be bits of information related to the topic but not relevant to the lesson.  It may even be relevant to the lesson, but overladen with technical details.  The bottom line concept of the coherence principle identifies all these enhancements as deterrents to cognitive learning. Clark and Mayer explain that the extraneous materials in the lessons overload the learners’ cognitive processes and block their ability to adequately retain and recall information from lessons.  They document evidence supporting this claim from a series of studies which they performed.  These research studies seem to have given adequate treatment of the question to both sides of the basic concept.  Clark and Mayer acknowledge that their studies did not exhaust all the research avenues and further research would be necessary to explore the matter to its end.

Otis’ Reflection

Distant education learning and technology is making education a large avenue for students to learn rather than attending a traditional school setting. Researches have shown that students could get the same level of education as traditional education student. For instance, EDUC 500 is a prime example of distant education (online). Distant education impacts the learning style of a student. Research shows that if certain learning styles/designs are implemented, then the student would be successful in distant education vs. being in a traditional setting. In 2 Thessalonians 2:15 Paul said “With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching we passed on to you both in person and by letter (Holy Bible, 1996, 2004, 2007). This verse in the bible tells me I need to stand firm in teaching I am being presented to by distant education. 

This chapter is very dear to me because being a special education educator, The Redundancy Principle do not change my method of learning nor how I will display important information to my students via on-screen text and audio narriation. I feel that these two methods of displaying information is critical to the disable learner. I disagree with Clark and Mayer major criticism about how people learn. Their assumption is not really based on research, it is based on their own premise of designing on-screen text and Narrated graphics. Another major problem with the learning styles view is that it is not supported by the available research evidence (Clark & Mayer, 2008). This statement verifies my belief about their assumption. Pashler, McDaniel, Roher, and Bjork (2008) in their scientific research evidence were unable to find evidence that visual learners learn better with visual forms of instruction and verbal learners learn better with verbal form of instruction.

Over years I have seen educators in the traditional classroom setting change because of the new styles of learning and instructing. “More recently, a whole range of electronic communication technology has made the possibilities for learning at distance, perhaps in one’s own home…”(Bork, 1987).

Dale’s Reflection

            Both the redundancy and coherence principles remind me of when I was in elementary school.  Classrooms in those days had many windows that looked out onto the school grounds.  It was easy to find myself or another student gazing out the window at something unrelated to the class.  Learning did not occur because cognitive processes were replaced thoughts of swing sets, kickball games, and freeze tag.  Those distractions interrupted my learning process much the same way the extraneous materials in an e-learning lesson can.  As educational technologists and online educators, it will be incumbent upon us to focus on the idea that less can sometime be more.  Fewer distractions may provide more opportunities true learning to occur. 

References

Borko, M. (1998). Professional development and teacher learning: Mapping the terrain. Educational Researcher, 33(8), 3-15.

Clark, R.C., & Mayer, R.E. (2011). E-learning and the science of instruction: Proven guidelines for consumers and designers of multimedia learning (3^rd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Wiley & sons. ISBN: 9780470874301.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (2007).  Chicago: Tyndale House.