Q: Hello, Gordon and Koos. How are you?
A: We are well thank you! Stuck in a Pandemic, but you probably know that already.
Q: Would it be okay if I ask you a couple of questions?
A: We are cool! Go for it.
Q: What was the title of your paper?
A: Activate the stimuli receptors: Reducing cognitive overload by analyzing the impact of multimedia elements
REFERENCE
Matthew, G. and De Villiers, K., 2020, June. Activate the stimuli receptors: Reducing cognitive overload by analyzing the impact of multimedia elements. In EdMedia+ Innovate Learning (pp. 183-194). Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE).
Q: What conference was the paper for?
A: EdMedia + Innovative Virtual Conference 2020
Q: What was the paper about?
A: In recent years, a large number of learning management sites (LMS) have emerged in the higher education sector, but these systems are generally not well-maintained. Most of the time the burden falls upon the lecturers to populate and maintain the content on these sites. The problem is, most of these online environments are built around complex learning tasks, mostly containing many interacting multimedia elements. These elements represent pieces of information, information-rich or information-poor, that needs to be processed by the brain simultaneously. This article focuses on: (i) the use of multimedia elements in LMSs, and (ii) how the interaction of multimedia elements used in LMs contribute to workload (or cognitive load) induced on the students. The main focus will form around redundant information, contiguity of elements, coherence, segmentation and signalling. This article proposes an adaptation of Meyer’s cognitive theory of multimedia learning to reduce cognitive load on Learning Management sites.
Q: What is the significance of the paper for academia?
A: The aim of the paper was to highlight certain areas in multimedia learning where multimedia elements or the way they or implemented on a learning management site can cause cognitive overload and prohibit learning form the material or platform.
Q: What is the aim of the research and what value will this hold for practice?
A: After testing our adapted model for multimedia learning on Learning Management Sites we wish to develop a diagnostic tool that will help educators to evaluate the effectiveness of the multimedia elements on their LMSs to facilitate learning.
Q: What is the next phase of the research?
A: This paper forms part of a bigger project to improve the design and implementation of lessons and multimedia elements on a learning management site. The goals of the project were 1) to identify how the effect of certain elements and design features have on-site interaction; 2) how the design and multimedia elements have an effect on the cognitive processing of students; 3) determine what multimedia elements students prefer and interact with and what they ignore; 4) compiling a diagnostic tool that encompasses all of the above-mentioned measurements into one comprehensive diagnostic tool to help lectures with designing efficient and user-friendly learning environments.
The next phase of our research will be to test our adapted model of multimedia learning by using eye-tracking research methodology to determine the interaction of students with the learning management site and multimedia elements.
Q: This project sounds exciting! Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions.
A: It is such a pleasure. We really hope that our research can add value to the field of multimedia learning while improving student engagement.