Mayer’s Principles of Multimedia Design and Learning

In the book Multimedia Learning, Richard Mayer discusses twelve principles on the design and organization of multimedia presentations that
make more effective course resources to support student learning. These principles inform the delivery of course content, whether flipped
course resources meant for students to view outside of class time (such as recorded lectures), or in-class course resources typically used during
traditional lecture time (such as slides).

Principle Description How to Address Cognitive

Load Effect
People learn better from • Include images to illustrate key points.
words and pictures than • Ensure that all images enhance or clarify meaning.
from words alone. • Favor static images over animations (with some exceptions). Optimizes
Multimedia germane
load

People learn better when • Include only graphics, text, and narration that support learning goals.
you exclude extraneous • Don’t use background music.
Coherence material. • Use simple visuals.

People learn better when • Use arrows, highlighting, and other signals to draw attention to
you use cues that highlight important information.
the organization of the • Include a slide that indicates the organization of your presentation and Reduces
Signaling essential material. refer back to it when you advance to a new section. extraneous
load

People learn better from • When delivering a narrated presentation, use either graphics or text,
graphics and narration but not both.
Redundancy than from some graphics, • Minimize the use of text during a narrated presentation.
narration, and printed text.

1
 People learn better when • Place text in close proximity with the graphics it refers to.
you present corresponding • Provide feedback close to the questions or answers it refers to.
words and pictures near • Present directions on the same screen as an activity.
Spatial Contiguity rather than far from each • Have people read any text before beginning an animated graphic.
other on the page or
screen.

People learn better when • Time the narration appropriately to play along with the animations.
you present corresponding
words and pictures
Temporal Contiguity simultaneously rather than
successively.

People learn better when • Allow users to control the pace of the lesson.
you present a multimedia • Break down long segments of material into smaller pieces.
message in user-paced
Segmenting
segments rather than as a
continuous unit.

People learn more deeply • Define key terms (such as names, definitions, locations, and
from a multimedia characteristics) before beginning a process-based presentation, either in
message when they know a separate presentation, handout, or similar material.
Pre-training the names and
characteristics of the main Manages
concepts. intrinsic load

People learn more deeply During a narrated presentation with graphics, avoid using on-screen
from pictures and spoken text, unless it:
words than from pictures • Lists key steps
and printed words. • Provides directions
Modality • Provides references
• Presents important information to non-native English speakers

2
 People learn better from • Use contractions.
multimedia presentations • Use first and second person (“I,” “you,” “we,” “our,” etc.).
when you use • If using a script, try to sound natural.
Personalization conversational language
• Use polite speech (“please,” “you might like to,” “let’s,” etc.).
(rather than formal).

People learn better when • Include narration that is performed by a human rather than a
narration is spoken in a computer.
Voice human voice rather than in
Optimizes
a machine voice.
germane
load
People do not necessarily • Avoid including a video of yourself during an asynchronous
learn better when the multimedia presentation containing pictures and words.
speaker’s image is on the
screen. • Consider including your face when:
Image • There are no words or pictures.
• You wish to establish instructor or social presence.

Adapted from Mayer, R. E. (2009). Multimedia learning (2nd ed.). Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.

3
4