The Multimedia Principle states that people learn best from words and pictures, rather than just words alone. This principle is based on research first conducted by Allan Paivio in the 1970s and the theory he proposed: Dual Coding Theory.
Putting the Multimedia Principle into practice:
You can employ this principle by using complementary, relevant images along with written or spoken text. It’s important to note that the visuals should provide information that corresponds to the text, helping learners better understand the concept. Poorly chosen visuals (or poorly created visuals) that provide conflicting or irrelevant information to that in the text negates the impact of the Multimedia Principle.