Media, Modes, and
Methods in Training
No matter
what type of training you are developing you need to decide: which delivery media you will use, how to communicate
the message (mode) and which
instructional methods will aid the
learner.
Media is
the way to deliver your mode. There are
three modes: visuals, text, and audio. Contained within the mode are the
instructional methods that support the core learning process. The process will
depend on your selection of learning theory and associated instructional design
model.
I share
these concepts to create a learning “scaffold” for
future topics as well as the focus of this post; visuals.
What are Visuals?
For the
purposes of this post, visuals are a mode of communication through the sense of
sight via an image. An image can be static or animated. The types of information that can be communicated
via a visual are (but not limited to): data, charts, objects, pictures,
photographs, sketches, drawings, animations, and video.
A Good Idea Gone Bad
The general
axiom about visuals is: Visuals aid learning. In our field, it has become an
expectation that any displayed content will contain some sort of graphic; be it
a background template, logo, or a picture of some kind. Recall any PowerPoint
presentation you have experienced recently as proof. The axiom is based on the cognitive “multimedia
principle” which states, “People learn better from words and pictures than
from words alone.” (1)
Well axiom
is true and the principle sound, but the operant descriptor missing for the term
visuals is relevant. The multimedia principle must be tempered by
the “coherence
principle” of multimedia which states, “People learn better when extraneous
words, pictures, and sounds are excluded rather than included.”(1) It is the communication of the message within
the visual that matters.
A Language for Visuals
What kinds
of messages are transmitted by visuals? Ruth Colvin-Clark (2) offers
a taxonomy that can be used to choose and evaluate the use of visuals. Think of it as the equivalent of Bloom’s
Taxonomy of Learning Domains for visuals. Please take a minute and review
the Table 1 below and focus on the various uses. For the ardent instructional designer, I would
commit it to memory and the first-class practitioner would apply it when
choosing a visual when developing content.
The Challenge – Remove the Extraneous
Select one
of your courses and choose a part that contains a visual. Review the content and determine the intent
of message using the “A graphic used to Column” in Table 1 above. Evaluate the visual by answering the
following:
2. Based on the content (the main
point), what should be the function of the visual?
3. Evaluate the visual base on the
following scale:
· The
Good: The visual directly supports the
message. Note: In general, decorative
visuals serve no real instructional purpose.
· The
Bad: It has something to do with the
content but is a stretch to associate it with the context; consider replacing
it.
· The
Ugly: It is unrelated to the message and
could depress learning; replace or delete it.
An Example
The
following is a screen shot from a well know and much loved (not) computer based course:
Evaluation
Yes, the content lends itself to a
visual representation.
The function: A “organizational” visual would be
appropriate based on the content since the content is describing how three
groups are working toward a common goal.
Assessment: The ugly. Just some people
working.
Suggested
Replacement:
Your Turn
Your
comments, candid and kind, will be appreciated and the next blog posting might
depend on the answer to the poll question.
Please take time to answer it.
Best
regards,
Cj
References
1. Mayer Richard, E. (2003). Multimedia Learning. New York, NY: Cambridge Press.
1. Mayer Richard, E. (2003). Multimedia Learning. New York, NY: Cambridge Press.
2. Colvin Clark, R. More Than Just Eye Candy: Graphics for
e-learning. The e-Learning Developer’s Journal. August, 2003.
3. Answer to Poll Question: Organizational. Shows relationships between content.
3. Answer to Poll Question: Organizational. Shows relationships between content.
