This document summarizes key principles and theories related to information design and multimedia learning. It discusses principles for design considerations including selection, organization, and integration. Gestalt principles of perception and theories of constructivism are examined. Design strategies of congruent and incongruent information are also presented. Several learning theories and principles are outlined, including those related to motivation, psychomotor skills, concept learning, and attitude change. Prominent learning theorists and their information processing and memory models are also mentioned. The document concludes by asking about the future direction of information design research.

1. Scholars and Research in
Information Design
JANUARY 31, 2012

2. Learning
Principles Related
to Multimedia • Design Considerations
• Gestalt Principle Motivation
Models
• Design Strategies
Psychomotor Concept Learning
Attitude Change
EDIT 9990: Information Design 2 Spring 2012

3. Learning Principles
Richard Mayer
• Encourage
learners to pay
attention to
relevant
information with
the use of
effective visuals
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4. Design Considerations
Selection
• Address the mind’s tendency to organize info into
categories
Organization
• Take advantage of the mind’s tendency to process and
remember hierarchical order
Integration
• Based on Gestalt theory that the whole is greater than
the sum of its parts
EDIT 9990: Information Design 4 Spring 2012

5. Gestalt’s Principles of Perception
Picture Perception
• Examines representational nature of pictures
• Scientific theories developed around early
15th century
Constructivism
• An individual must construct a meaning
(Gombrich 1969)
• Images do not tell their own stories
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6. Design Strategies
Congruent Incongruent
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7. Motivation Principles
• Should be considered throughout the design
& development processes
• Important as educators endeavor to produce
self motivated and self-directed learners
• John Keller and Ernest Burkman have laid the
foundation in research
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8. Psychomotor Principles
• Focus on material’s
ability to help the
learner take theory
and translate it for
reproduction in
practice
Alexander
Romiszowski
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9. Concept Learning Principles
Tennyson &
Cocchiarella
• Help reduce
memory load
required when
learning about
objects, events
or ideas
• Categorize the
diversity of things
surrounding us
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10. Attitude Change Principles
Barbara Martin
•Instructional messages should
be designed in a credible,
realistic, relevant, and
technically stimulating manner
to promote positive attitude
change
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11. Learning Theories
Richard Atkinson Richard Shiffrin Allan Paivio
• Information Processing • Information Processing • Dual-Coding Theory
Theory Theory
John Sweller Alan Baddeley
• Cognitive Load Theory • Model of Memory
EDIT 9990: Information Design 11 Spring 2012

12. Future of the Field
Where do you see (or where would you like to
see) ID research going in the next 5 years, 10 ten
years, and beyond?
Discuss your thoughts in eLC.
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13. Additional Resources
More on Gestalt Principle of Perception
Gestalt Video
14th Century Research on Message Design
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