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Compose a brief analysis of the Coherence Principle, answering the followingquestions:

1. What is the Coherence Principle and its most important constraints/criteria?

The coherence principle in multimedia learning suggests that presentations mustcontain elements that are logical and consistent with the objectives of thepresentation and that extraneous images, audio, or animation detracts from learning.In short, according to the coherence principle, you should avoid adding any materialthat does not support the instructional goals.(Clark & Mayer, 2008) The theory isthat unnecessary audio or visual material may overload cognitive channels anddecrease comprehension by the learner. Although, Mayer listed positive results foreliminating extraneous materials in thirteen out of fourteen experiments...(Clark &Mayer, 2008), it is still unclear how the coherence principle effects learners withextensive prior knowledge on a subject or learners within a long term instructionalprogram. It is within this context that the Interactive Multimedia Electronic Journal of

Computer Enhanced learning recommends educators should ...identify techniquesfor presentation of verbal and visual information that minimizes working memory loadand promotes meaningful learning.(Moreno & Mayer, 1999)2. Describe and/or include one example of successful and one example ofunsuccessful attempts to apply the Coherence Principle in actual instruction andtraining you have experienced, especially as it might be implemented in PowerPoint-based instruction and training. Have you ever seen this principle violated or abused?Identify the violations, including citations as needed from your textbook.

Many times, in an effort to increase interest or emotional arousal in a presentation,

instructional designers will introduce extraneous multimedia elements in order toincrease perceived level of excitement or engagement. Arousal theory is the ideathat entertaining and interesting embedded effects cause learners to become moreemotionally aroused and therefore work harder to learn the material.(Clark & Mayer,2008) Unconsciously, this is the principle I have seen applied many times bystudents in my Media Arts classes who, after creating a presentation rich withinteresting visuals and informative content, resort to overlaying the latest hip-hop hitthat is appealing to the group, but irrelevant to the project. Student developers arehoping to appeal to the viewers musical aesthetic in order to engage their interest inthe presentation, thereby reducing the likelihood of any meaningful learning.

Alternatively, I have seen many examples of Media Arts students adhering to the

coherence principle in the creation of nonverbal narratives, which use music tosupport the story through establishing the mood and atmosphere of the conflict andthe emotional elements of character. Through the careful selection of music one canenhance the visual impact of the narrative and the overall impact of the presentation.3. Discuss the relationship of the Coherence Principle to other MultimediaLearning Principles examined thus far in your readings.

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Cognitive, Redundancy, and Modality Principles are related to each other and theCoherence Principle through their relationship to how people learn and thelimitations of human perception. All of the theories revolve around the limitations ofcognitive input and deal with sight, sound, and our ability to synthesize a finiteamount of information at any given time. The above principles all relate to the

organization of learning materials in such a way as to avoid overloading cognitivechannels and designing educational materials to manipulate and maximize sensoryinput for learning.

4. Discuss the relationship of the Coherence Principle to fundamental theoriesof psychology as described by Clark & Mayer in your textbook.

As far back as 1913 John Dewey wrote in his paperInternet and effort in education,that interest cannot be added to an otherwise boring lesson like some kind ofseasoning.(Dewey, 1913). If the lesson is uninteresting, one must look to thematerial itself and in fact the introduction of unnecessary visuals or sound will have

the opposite effect, distracting the learner and interfering with their ability to makesense of the given material. These negative learning results are amplified forstudents who have trouble processing information. Psychologically, it is suggestedthat learning materials that are streamlined to present in a coherent, uncluttered, andsimplified manner, without the addition of supplemental material, are more likely tobe understood and retained because the learning process stems from the studentscognitive efforts to fill in the gaps and make sense of the material. Students giventoo much information on a topic, especially if it delivered in simultaneous cognitivechannels, will not retain the information due to cognitive overload.

5. What do you personally like or dislike about this principle? Present acoherent, informed opinion and explain why you hold this opinion. Are there anylimitations or qualifications of the principle (caveats) which the authors did notconsider and, if so, what are they?

It could be argued that the coherence principle simplifies the learning process anddoes not consider the cognitive capabilities of the advanced student. It is clear thatthere are limitations to cognitive input no matter how much previous knowledge astudent has, however does the inclusion of examples that involve the application ofthe learning principles in real life situations qualify as extraneous? The text suggeststhat adding extraneous words to add technical depth to information such as

providing extended examples of the learning principle at work may distract from thelearning objectives. This may be applied to the learner who is new to the material,but can this be true with experienced students of the material? I would contest thatproviding real life applications of the learning material within a presentation wouldassist with the cognitive process of making sense of the material. In my experienceproviding contextual examples of concepts reinforces understanding and increasesretention.

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6. Copy and paste text from your Google Doc to a new post on your LearningLog, titling it "Coherence Analysis." Add appropriate AECT Standard(s) as alabel (Blogger) or category (WordPress).

References:

1. Clark, R. C., & Mayer, R. E. (2008). E-learning and the science of instruction: Proven

guidelines for consumers and designers of multimedia learning. San Francisco, CA:

Pfeiffer.

2. Dewey, J. (1913). Internet and effort in education. Cambridge, MA: Houghton

Mifflin.

3. Mayer, R.E., & Moreno, R. (2000).A Learner-Centered Approach to Multimedia

Explanations: Deriving Instructional Design Principles from Cognitive Theory.

Interactive Multimedia Electronic Journal of Computer-Enhanced Learning. Wake

Forest University.