Applying theories of cognition in teaching technology

Abstract

How should we design visual presentations to explain how a complex system works? One promising approach involves multimedia presentation of explanations in visual and verbal formats, such as presenting a computer-generated animation synchronized with narration or on-screen text. In a review of some studies, we found evidence that presenting a verbal explanation of how a system works with an animation does not insure that students will understand the explanation unless research-based cognitive principles are applied to the design. The paper supports cognitive principles of multimedia learning