Featured Photo By: Sorter
Out of all the principles of Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning, the Cognitive Load Theory resonated with me because I find that guided information that’s broken down in a step-by-step instruction helps me understand the content more. Depending on the learning material, I think that each principle can be applied. However, I find that the Cognitive Load Theory is the most intuitive as a university because most of what I learn can feel complex and layered, especially at first. When professors divide the courses into smaller chunks that are more familiar, I am able to process it more efficiently without feeling overwhelmed (Thalmann et al., 2019). The principle that surprised me the most was the redundancy principle because I always thought that reinforcing images with text would allow for learners to retain the material, but it often leads to an overload (Wang et al., 2024).
In regards to my project, I plan on creating a 12-20 comic panel that aims towards high school students at a beginner level where it is simple, focused, and easy to follow while ensuring that important information is being delivered clearly to the learners. This may seem easy, however sometimes keeping things simple for me can be difficult at times. If I were to choose a comic panel teaching learners philosophical theories that might be nuanced and abstract, it would be difficult to condense these concepts (though not impossible). Additionally, I want to make sure every panel is used efficiently, where each panel offers new information and builds on the previous one, while still maintaining a chunking/sectioning approach to support learning.
Overall, I think that the Cognitive Load Theory and applying this to my comic project will help create a better learning experience for me and the learners. I will learn how to keep a concept simple while maintaining efficiency, while students can (hopefully) understand potentially complex ideas that feel easy to follow.
References
Thalmann, M., Souza, A. S., & Oberauer, K. (2019). How does chunking help working memory?. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 45(1), 37.
Wang, L., Che, G., Hu, J., & Chen, L. (2024). Online review helpfulness and information overload: the roles of text, image, and video elements. Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research, 19(2), 1243-1266.