NEXUS - Mayer's 12 Principles of Multimedia Learning - 6 Universal

Mayer's Principles of

Multimedia Learning

6 Universal Principles

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6 Universal Principles

Signaling

Segmenting

Multimedia

Personalization

Coherence

Spatial Contiguity

Personalization Principle

This principle states that humans learn best from a more informal, conversational voice than an overly formal voice.

Implementation strategy:

• Keep the content simple and casual.
• Avoid using overly professional, long, or complex words.
• Use first-person language (you, I, we, our).

Coherence Principle

This principle states that humans learn better when irrelevant and distracting elements are not included.

Implementation strategy:

• Present only relevant information.
• Use simple text and visuals.
• Use a contrasting color to improve readability.

Signaling Principle

This principle states that humans learn best when they are shown exactly what to pay attention to on the screen.

Implementation strategy:

• Use highlight, underline, or bold to point out key information.
• Add partitions between sections to signal different parts of the learning topic.
• Use arrows, red circles, and lines to highlight visual elements.

Segmenting Principle

This principle states that humans learn best when information is presented in segments, rather than one long continuous stream.

Implementation strategy:

• Provide control for students (next buttons, customizable setting).
• Divide the content into small bite-sized chunks for easier comprehension.
• Make sure there is not too much information packed into one screen.

Multimedia Principle

This principle explains that humans learn better from words and pictures than just words alone.

Implementation strategy:

• Avoid only using text on a screen.
• Make sure the graphics you use enhance and clarify the explanation.
• If you have to present text, be mindful of spacing, contrast, and font.

Spatial Contiguity Principle

This principle suggests that humans learn best when relevant text and visuals are physically close together.

Implementation strategy:

• Put text and its corresponding graphics close to each other.
• Choose relevant and supporting graphics for the text.
• Use arrows, numbers, and lines to highlight the process.