Five Common but Questionable Principles of Multimedia Learning

Clark, Richard E.; Feldon, David F.

doi:10.1017/cbo9780511816819.007

Cited by 83 publications

(55 citation statements)

References 66 publications

(64 reference statements)

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“…, it is unfortunately impossible to collect the required evidence. 16,[33][34][35][36] This is true regardless of whether one defines the criterion 'better' as higher test scores, higher efficiency (test score per time), satisfaction, motivation, or some other way.…”

Section: Is Web-based Learning Better Than Face-to-face?mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Web-based learning: pros, cons and controversies

2007

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-Advantages of web-based learning (WBL) in medical education include overcoming barriers of distance and time, economies of scale, and novel instructional methods, while disadvantages include social isolation, up-front costs, and technical problems. Web-based learning is purported to facilitate individualised instruction, but this is currently more vision than reality. More importantly, many WBL instructional designs fail to incorporate principles of effective learning, and WBL is often used for the wrong reasons (eg for the sake of technology). Rather than trying to decide whether WBL is superior to or equivalent to other instructional media (research addressing this question will always be confounded), we should accept it as a potentially powerful instructional tool, and focus on learning when and how to use it. Educators should recognise that high fidelity, multimedia, simulations, and even WBL itself will not always be necessary to effectively facilitate learning.KEY WORDS: distance learning, e-learning, instructional design, instructional method, internet, medical education IntroductionThe internet is more frequently becoming a part of our daily lives, and its presence in medical education is unmistakable. Web-based courses seem to dominate the attention of educators and students. If presentations at international conferences are any indication, the interest in this new instructional medium is indeed commanding. At the 2005 meeting of the Association for Medical Education in Europe, for example, at least 104 presentations dealt with various aspects of web-based learning (WBL). 1 But is all this hype warranted? Is WBL really all it is cracked up to be, or is it just a fad? This article will attempt to answer that question. What is web-based learning?Web-based learning encompasses all educational interventions that make use of the internet (or a local intranet). There are currently three broad classifications or configurations within WBL: tutorials, online discussion groups, and virtual patients. The distinctions between these configurations are often blurred, and in fact a given WBL intervention might use a combination of two or three, but the implications for teaching warrant a conceptual, albeit at times arbitrary, separation.Online tutorials are similar to face-to-face lectures. They generally consist of information structured by the teacher in a way that will (hopefully) facilitate learning. Tutorials are often enhanced by features such as multimedia (sound, pictures, movies, and animations), links to online resources (full-text journal articles or related websites) and other areas within the course, and self-assessment tools. Effective online tutorials often also make use of patient cases.Online discussion is similar to the face-to-face small group session. As with any small group, there may be an element of didactic teaching from the instructor (eg a brief tutorial) but the heart of the teaching lies in group discussion. Teachers take on the role of facilitators -defining the scope of the disc...

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Section: Is Web-based Learning Better Than Face-to-face?mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Adaptation to learning styles, on the other hand, has not been found to be effective. 36,45 Only time and additional research will tell what attributes, if any, will prove useful as a basis for adaptation. However, a few points should be kept in mind by those undertaking such studies.…”

Section: Can Web-based Learning Be Individualised?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Web-based learning: pros, cons and controversies

2007

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“…Clark and Feldon (2005) concluded that a facilitator who participates and interacts with students prevents them from abandoning their course. Better cognitive outcomes occur when students engage and form a virtual community of learners.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Read-only participants: a case for student communication in online classes

Nagel

Blignaut

Cronjé

2009

Interactive Learning Environments

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The establishment of an online community is widely held as the most important prerequisite for successful course completion and depends on an interaction between a peer group and a facilitator. Beaudoin reasoned that online students sometimes engage and learn even when not taking part in online discussions. The context of this study was an online course on webbased education for a Masters degree in computer-integrated education at the University of Pretoria. We used a mixed methodology approach to investigate how online activity and discussion postings relate to learning and course completion. We also investigated how student collaborative behaviour and integration into the community related to success. Although the quantitative indices measured showed highly significant differences between the stratifications of student performance, there were notable exceptions unexplained by the trends. The class harboured a well-functioning online learning community. We also uncovered the discontent students in the learning community felt for invisible students who were absent without reason from group assignments or who made shallow and insufficient contributions. Student online visibility and participation can take many forms, like read-only participants who skim over or deliberately harvest others' discussions. Other students can be highly visible without contributing. Students who anticipate limited access due to poor connectivity, high costs or other reasons can manage their log-in time effectively and gain maximum benefit. Absent and seldom contributing students risk forsaking the benefits of the virtual learning community. High quality contributions rather than quantity builds trust among mature students. We suggest how to avoid readonly-participation: communicate the required number of online classroom postings; encourage submission of high quality, thoughtful postings; grade discussions and give formative feedback; award individual grades for group projects and rotate members of groups; augment facilitator communication with Internet-independent media to convey important information. Readonly-participants disrupt the formation of a virtual community of learners and compromise learning.Keywords: higher education; web-based learning; participation; lurkers; virtual community of learners BackgroundAs more formal education courses are available online, quality and noncompletion remain problems:

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“…In general, learning with multimedia e-materials is more motivated and successful compared with live lessons or other media (video, simulation, and a combination of graph and audio presentations), which enable easier learning. Such material adapts students to various learning styles and facilitates a constructive and enquiry-based approach to learning (Clark & Feldon, 2005;Krnel & Bajd, 2009). When students use multimedia e-text-books, they can better prepare themselves for examinations.…”

Section: Multimedia E-text-books (E-material)mentioning

confidence: 99%

E-Learning Usage During Chemical Engineering Courses

Krajnc¹

2012

E-Learning - Engineering, on-Job Training and Interactive Teaching

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Five Common but Questionable Principles of Multimedia Learning

Cited by 83 publications

References 66 publications

Web-based learning: pros, cons and controversies

Web-based learning: pros, cons and controversies

Read-only participants: a case for student communication in online classes

E-Learning Usage During Chemical Engineering Courses

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