Below are a few examples of multimedia learning objects that highlight Mayer’s Principles of Multimedia Learning.
Item 1: eLearning Module – The Transtheoretical Model
Full Screen Link: Transtheoretical Model Learning Module
eLearning module overview: This HTML5 learning module leads students down the path of the Transtheoretical Model for behavior change, which is studied in Ohio State University Masters in Public Health graduate program. It includes a combination of text and video to tell the story of a simulated patient who is considering quitting smoking. The final page of the module provides an interactive information graphic that displays the entire model along with the processes of change that help patients progress along the path of positive behavioral change.
Interactive eLearning module documentation: This Annotation describes the objectives of this module and how it meets the instructor’s learning objectives.
Principles in Action:
- Generative Activity Principle
- Students must apply their understanding of the Transtheoretical Model to a case scenario, answering questions and receiving immediate feedback on their responses.
- Voice Principle
- Audio narration in videos is read by a real person.
- Personalization Principle
- Language is casual but specific to the audience and the content.
- Segmenting Principle
- The various steps and processes of the Transtheoretical Model are explored one by one as students progress through the eLearning module. An information graphic on the final slide allows learners to “put it all together” by exploring the entire model with interactive, clickable elements.
Item 2: eLearning Module – Major Development Stages of Blood Cells
Full screen link: Blood Cell Development Interactive Diagram
eLearning module overview: This HTML5 learning module helps graduate students enrolled in Pharmacy 5005: Fundamentals of Pathophysiology see how a pluripotent stem cell can evolve into one of 10 different mature cells, each with its own specific role in the body. The dynamic movement of each new cell slides from its predecessor to illustrate how one cell evolves into the next. Other interactive elements highlight groups of cells and explain their similarities. A mouse hover over selected cells reveals additional information. The module ends with a short quiz for students to assess their knowledge of the process and revisit the interactive diagram.
Principles in Action:
- Generative Activity Principle
- Students must apply their understanding of the process of hematopoiesis—shown via the interactive information graphic at the beginning of the module—by answering questions and receiving immediate feedback on their responses.
- Personalization Principle
- Language is casual but specific to the audience and the content.
- Spatial Contiguity Principle
- Labels are adjacent to each visual element in the information graphic. Pop-up explainers provide additional information when visual elements are hovered over or clicked upon.
- Multimedia Principle
- Words are used in conjunction with relevant visuals depicting the progressions of pluripotent stem cells in the blood.
Item 3: eLearning Module – Primary Care Nursing Scenario
Full screen link: Primary Care Nursing Scenario
eLearning module overview: This HTML5 learning module helps graduate students enrolled in Nursing Advancement 3117: RN Practice in Primary Care explore a simulated scenario as a nurse working in a busy primary care office. The module progresses through several concepts recently introduced in the class, allowing students to apply what they’ve learned in a carefully crafted scenario that includes images of the people impacted by their decisions. Question slides provide immediate feedback to learners and allow them to choose again if they don’t make the correct selection the first time.
Principles in Action:
- Generative Activity Principle
- Students must apply their understanding of the ethical implications of nursing in a dynamic environment by answering questions and receiving immediate feedback on their responses.
- Segmenting Principle
- Concepts recently introduced in class are addressed individually in the scenario, with links to the original resources to remind students of what they’ve learned.
- Personalization Principle
- Language is casual but specific to the audience and the content.
- Multimedia Principle
- Recurring images of the same people in various settings and poses are used in conjunction with textual explanations and prompts to apply learned concepts.