Mayer's cognitive theory of multimedia learning posits that people learn more deeply from words and pictures than from words alone. The theory addresses how to structure multimedia instruction based on how the human mind works. Mayer outlines three types of cognitive load: extraneous, essential, and generative. Principles are provided for reducing extraneous load and managing essential load, such as the signaling principle and segmenting principle. Additional principles like the multimedia and personalization principles aim to foster deeper generative processing of the material.

1. MAYER’S THEORY OF
MULTIMEDIA LEARNING
PRINCIPLES OF MAYER’S THEORY OF MULTIMEDIA LEARNING
BY: ADANNA BRITTO

2. MAYER’S THEORY OF MULTIMEDIA
LEARNING
Multimedia learning happens when we build mental
representations from words and pictures. The principle known as
the “multimedia principle” states that “people learn more deeply
from words and pictures than from words alone” Mayer and other
researchers believes that simply adding words to pictures is not
an effective way to achieve multimedia learning. The goal is to
instructional media in the light of how human mind works. The
theory tries to address the issue of how to structure multimedia
instructional practices and employ more effective cognitive
strategies to help people learn efficiently.

3. MAYER TRIARCHIC MODEL OF COGNITIVE
LOAD
Mayer’s has three model of cognitive processing which are :
• Extraneous Cognitive Processing: Cognitive processing that
does not serve the instructional goal; caused by confusing
instructional design
• Essential Cognitive Processing: Cognitive processing required
to represent the essential material in working memory; caused
by complexity of material
• Generative Cognitive Processing: Cognitive processing required
for deeper understanding; caused by motivation of the learner

4. REDUCING EXTRANEOUS PROCESSING
Extraneous processing does not serve the instructional goal or purpose
and reduces the chances that transfer of learning will occur.
Principles for reducing extraneous processing are:
• Coherence Principle
• Signaling Principle
• Redundancy Principle
• Spatial Contiguity Principle
• Temporal Contiguity Principle

5. PRINCIPLES FOR REDUCING EXTRANEOUS
COGNITIVE PROCESSING
Coherence Principle:
Remove extraneous (irrelevant) words,
sounds, or graphics. This principle
states that people learn better when
extraneous words, pictures and sounds
are excluded rather than included.
This is essential to keep students
attention on the topic. Students can be
easily distracted by pictures and display
especially in a multimedia setting.
Teachers should ensure that images
and graphics being displayed is related
the topic and objectives of the lesson.

6. PRINCIPLES FOR REDUCING EXTRANEOUS
COGNITIVE PROCESSING
Signaling Principle:
Highlight essential words or
graphics. This principle proposes
that learners learn more deeply
when cues are added to highlight
the organization of the essential
material.
This principles guide students’
focus on the main points of the
multimedia messages.

7. PRINCIPLES FOR REDUCING EXTRANEOUS
COGNITIVE PROCESSING
Redundancy Principle
Remove redundant caption
from narrated animation. This
principle states that people
learn better from graphics and
narration than from graphics,
narration and on-screen text.

8. PRINCIPLES FOR REDUCING EXTRANEOUS
COGNITIVE PROCESSING
Spatial Contiguity Principle
Place essential words next to
corresponding graphics on the
screen or page. This principle
proposes that people learn
better when corresponding
words and pictures are
presented near rather than far
from each other on the page or
screen.

9. PRINCIPLES FOR REDUCING EXTRANEOUS
COGNITIVE PROCESSING
Temporal Contiguity Principle:
Present corresponding words
and pictures simultaneously.
This principle states that
people learn better when
corresponding words and
pictures are presented
simultaneously rather than
successively.

10. MANAGING ESSENTIAL PROCESSING
Essential processing relates to the essential material or
information to be
learned.
Principles for managing essential processing are:
• Segmenting Principle
• Pre-Training Principle
• Modality Principle

11. PRINCIPLES FOR MANAGING ESSENTIAL
PROCESSING
Segmenting Principle:
People learn better when a multimedia message is
presented in user-paced segments rather than as
a continuous unit.
When the information is provided in a segmented
format this allows the learner to move at their
own speed and ingest the information at the
speed that works best. It also has a easy to
understand method to piece all the different
segments together.
Example: Teachers can provide students with step
by step images to assist them in drawing in an Art
class. The students can move at their desired
speed to complete the drawing.

12. PRINCIPLES FOR MANAGING ESSENTIAL
PROCESSING
Pre-Training Principle
People learn better from a multimedia lesson
when they know the names and characteristics
of the main concepts.
If previous information in provided students
can rely on their prior knowledge to gain a
better understanding of the information being
providing through the multimedia platform.
Examples: Before students learning about the
how the digestive system they will receive a
labelled picture of the digestive system and
learn characteristics of each organ.

13. PRINCIPLES FOR MANAGING ESSENTIAL
PROCESSING
Modality Principle
People learn better from graphics and narrations
than from animation and on-screen text. Learners
will learn better when new information is
explained by audio narration than on-screen text,
especially when the graphic is complex.
The narration assist students while they interact
with the on screen visuals or watch the
information that is being shared
Examples: Teachers can follow this principle with
assisting students with interacting with online
classes. For instance in this course: where a demo
was sent to assist students with setting up their
power learning classroom and how to add content
in the online space.

14. FOSTERING GENERATIVE PROCESSING
Generative processing is cognitive processing aimed at making sense
of the material and includes organizing the incoming material into
coherent structures and integrating these structures with each other
and with prior knowledge.
Principles for fostering generative processing are:
• Multimedia Principle
• Personalization Principle
• Voice Principle
• Image Principle

15. FOSTERING GENERATIVE PROCESSING
Multimedia Principle
People learn better from words
and pictures than from words
alone. When words and
pictures are both presented,
learners have an opportunity to
construct verbal and visual
mental models and to build
connections between them.

16. FOSTERING GENERATIVE PROCESSING
Personalization Principle
People learn better from
multimedia lessons when words
are in conversational style rather
than formal style.
Students will feel like the
information in the video is
directed to them and allow them
to reflect on themselves. The
content becomes relatable and
more meaningful to the students.

17. FOSTERING GENERATIVE PROCESSING
Voice Principle
People learn better when the
narration in multimedia lessons is
spoken in a friendly human voice
rather than a machine voice.
This allows the information to be
presented in voices that students
are familiar with hearing in real
life rather than a robot voice.

18. FOSTERING GENERATIVE PROCESSING
Image Principle
People do not necessarily learn
better from a multimedia lesson
when the speaker’s image is
added to the screen.
Example: There are many videos
online with the speaker explaining
the subject content.

19. REFERENCES
• Mayer, R. E. (2009). Multimedia learning (2nd ed). New
York:Cambridge University Press.