Knowledge and Application of Multimedia

When I began delving into the readings I found terms that I had heard before in prior classes or in professional developments. Terms like cognitive load theory (CLT) or cognitive-affective theory (CAT) were terms shared out when discussing instructional design, but always in a manner that had not allowed a lot of conversation. When I began to look more deeply into the two theories, through the readings, I began to think about them in regards to my educational experiences as an educator.

To provide some insight into my thoughts, I must first explain my own professional background. I am presently an elementary school librarian. I design my own library lessons and must tailor them to a wide range of audiences. Prior to moving into the role of school librarian, I was a special education teacher. I worked with students who had various learning and intellectual disabilities. I also worked with students who were on the spectrum or had a diagnosis of ADHD/ADD. When I would work with those students I had to be very careful to design lessons and activities that would help them learn and grasp concepts, but not overwhelm them with materials that would increase extraneous load. I was unknowingly employing CLT within my lessons to increase the knowledge retained in my students’ long-term memories (Brom, et. al., 2018).

Emotional design is a relatively new concept to me. The idea of anthropomorphizing images to multimedia elements within an educational lesson is not entirely foreign. However, the science behind adding the anthropomorphic effect and the emotional impact it can have is a newer concept to me. I found it to be interesting that the cognitive-affective theory (CAT) posits that emotional designs could increase the learning outcome in the educational experience (Mayer, 2009; Moreno, 2005, as cited in Brom, et al., 2018). This caused me to think over some of the books that I choose to read to my students and the use of Novel Effect in my library. For example, I read The Scarecrow by Beth Ferry to my students in November. The images of the books coupled with the sound scapes generated by Novel Effect created an emotional response in my students. This in turn led to them better understanding the theme of the story, connecting with the main character better, recalling facts from the story, and using text evidence when discussing the book in a whole group discussion.

The integration of multimedia into online learning became a topic of interest when the pandemic hit. Prior to that I had interspersed introductory videos into my lessons, or used pictures to help support my students’ reading skills. For example, a picture walk uses pictures to preview the story before reading the story. This allows my students to become familiar with the characters, setting, observe emotions present in the characters of the story, and allow my students an opportunity to draw on prior knowledge. When we shut down due to the pandemic, we had to find a way to transition to online learning. It was a very chaotic time; my team was tasked with creating adaptable materials that will meet the needs of our learners, while also meeting their accommodation and modification requirements as outlined in their Individual Education Plan (IEP). Truthfully, it was exhausting and stressful. I felt like I was running a marathon without training beforehand, and instead of the perfectly sized cups of water, there were gallons of water being dumped over my head.

In the textbook, e-Learning and the Science of Instruction, there are descriptions of two types of engagement: behavioral and psychological engagement (Clark & Mayer, 2016). According to Clark and Mayer (2016, p. 16) behavioral engagement refers to activities such as pressing next or a verbal response in a teacher-led discussion, whereas psychological engagement involves a more cognitive engagement, such as connecting new knowledge to prior knowledge. During the first months of navigating online learning, I definitely employed more of a behavioral engagement instruction style with my students, but as I learned more “tricks” and found more tools to support my learners, the engagement moved towards a psychological engagement instruction style.

Moving forward in my current role as a school librarian, I still have similar responsibilities as a special education teacher. I design lessons to meet a variety of needs of students while still designing enriching educational experiences. The knowledge acquired from the readings has me being more thoughtful about providing more psychologically engaging experiences, while also being mindful of the multimedia utilized, avoiding extraneous load.

Brom, C., Starkova, T., & D'Mello, S. K. (2018). How effective is emotional design? A meta-analysis on facial anthropomorphisms and pleasant colors during multimedia learning. Educational Research Review, 25, 100–119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2018.09.004

Clark, R, C., & Mayer, R. E. (2016). e-Learning and the science of instruction: Proven guidelines for consumers and designers of multimedia learning (4th ed.). John Wiley & Sons.