Media - a Constructivist view of principles

Constructivism is part of the Cognitivist gene pool, and as such it is appropriate to look at the impact of digital multimedia on cognition and learning.

In E-Learning and the Science of Instruction (2003), Ruth Colvin Clark and Richard E Mayer explore the research on the impact of media in e-learning across seven design principles:

• Multimedia
• Contiguity
• Modality
• Redundancy
• Coherence
• Personalization
• Practice Opportunities/Simulations

Clark and Mayer assert that broadly speaking

Learning results from designing learning materials with the right instructional methods regardless of how the information will be delivered [my italics]. ...To help learners acquire new knowledge and skills, instructional methods including media elements such as sound, text, and graphics as well as learning aids such as practice exercises, must support human cognitive learning processes.

(p.2)

Regardless of the theoretical approach or instructional design used, learning happens in accordance with the capabilities of two memory components: working and long-term memory, as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1 Effective e-learning supports critical psychological learning processes

Working memory is where ideas are generated and learning takes place. However, working memory has a very limited capacity - according to Miller (1956) working memory has the capacity to retain 7±2 chunks of information. When working memory fills with even limited amounts of information, its processing power diminishes rapidly.

Long-term memory has a vast capacity for information storage; it is a person's knowledge and memory repository. However, long-term memory provides storage only - all the cognitive activity takes place in working memory. In learning, the goal is to create environments in which learners actively process new information in the working memory in ways that lead to storage in long-term memory. When needed, this information can be retrieved into working memory.

Positive learning outcomes require instructional methods that accommodate the limits of working memory and encourage processing of new information for storage in long-term memory.

(p.4)

The primary cognitive processes to be engaged include:

• Attention
• Management of load in working memory
• Rehearsal of new information in working memory that results in encoding in long-term memory
• Retrieval of new skills back into working memory when needed.

The authors suggest the following principles can be used to enhance the effectiveness of learning:

• Include both words and graphics as long as the graphics convey information that
  is being taught and are not merely decorative.
• Place corresponding words and graphics near each other.
• Present words as audio narration rather than onscreen text.
• Presenting words as both text and simultaneous audio narration can interfere with
  learning.
• Adding interesting, but unnecessary, material can interfere with learning.

With this in mind, how much practice do learners need? We know that skill improvement can continue over many practice sessions—although with diminishing returns. The greatest amount of learning occurs in the first few practice sessions. How much practice to include depends on the criticality of the skills you are building, and on the extent to which performance can improve on the job. For some tasks, such as landing an airplane, it’s critical that the first performance is highly effective.

In other cases, learners can continue to practice and improve on the job. [Ruth Clark's] recommendation is to adjust the amount of practice according to the criticality of the tasks and the cost benefits generated by additional practice opportunities.

(2007, p.9)

_________________________

References:

Clark, R. (2007). Leveraging multimedia for learning. Use instructional methods proven to align with natural learning processes [Internet] Available from: http://www.adobe.com/products/captivate/pdfs/captivate_leveraging_multimedia.pdf Accessed 23 May 2008

Clark, R. C. and R. E. Mayer (2003). E-Learning and the Science of Instruction. San Francisco, Jossey-Bass
Pfeiffer.

Merrill, M. D. (2006a). First Principles of Instruction. In C. M. Reigeluth & A. Carr (Eds.), Instructional Design Theories and Models III (Vol. III). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers.

Merrill, M. D. (2006b). First principles of instruction: a synthesis. In R. A. Reiser and J. V. Dempsey (Eds.) Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology. Columbus: Ohio, Merrill Prentice Hall.

Miller, G. A. (1956) The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two. The Psychological Review, 63(2), pp. 81-97

--

Constructivism and instructional design: more considerations

In this series of blog posts, I am considering the implications of learning and development for knowledge workers in the modern workplace, the limitations of the Systems Approach to training, and how to implement a Constructivist learning environment that can effectively and efficiently support knowledge workers.

Now read on...

In yesterday's post, and based on the work of Michael Molena, I suggested that the epitome of the Systems Approach, ADDIE, was less a development process and more a set of heuristics to facilitate instructional designers' efforts to develop e-learning content. I also outlined M. David Merrill's work to identify fundamental invariant principles of "good" instructional design, regardless of pedagogy. Merrill asserts that there is a core of consistent "Principles of Instruction" that we may use as the basis for content development regardless of the actual methodology used.

Merrill's primary and central principle of instruction is task-centered learning. A task is an activity that represents a problem that may be encountered in a real-world situation. Learning objectives or samples of the types of problems learners will be able to solve at the end of the learning sequence may also substitute for a task. A progression through problems of increasing difficulty are used to scaffold the learning process into manageable tiers of difficulty. The courseware should relate to real world problems.

Learner guidance helps focus the learner’s attention on critical elements of the information and relate these critical elements to the portrayal. The learner guidance that enhances the demonstration is indicated by bullets.

(2006a, p.4)

Merrill recognizes three categories of classification that provide information and can be portrayed:

1. Kinds-of
2. How-to
3. What-happens

Kinds-of category

Concept classification occurs when learners must discriminate among members of two or more related categories of objects or events. An effective presentation/demonstration for concept classification (kinds-of) requires the following instructional activities.

1. Tell learners the name of each category or alternative procedure.
2. Show learners an example of each category.
3. Provide learners a definition for each category.
4. Show learners examples of each category.

How-to category
Procedure learning occurs when learners must carry out a series of steps. A presentation/demonstration for a procedure (how-to) involves the following instructional
activities:

1. Show learners a specific instance of the whole task.
2. Demonstrate each of the steps required to complete the whole task.
3. Show the consequence of each step.
4. Summarize the steps in the procedure and their sequence.

What-happens category
Process learning occurs when learners understand how some device works or the process underlying some phenomenon. A presentation/demonstration for a process (what-happens) involves the following instructional activities.

1. Demonstrate the process in a specific, real or simulated situation.
2. Repeat the demonstration for several increasingly complex scenarios.

In tomorrow's post we shall examine principles for the effective use of media in this learning environment.

________________________

References:

Merrill, M. D. (2006a). First Principles of Instruction. In C. M. Reigeluth & A. Carr (Eds.), Instructional Design Theories and Models III (Vol. III). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers.

Merrill, M. D. (2006b). First principles of instruction: a synthesis. In R. A. Reiser and J. V. Dempsey (Eds.) Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology. Columbus: Ohio, Merrill Prentice Hall.

--

Is Constructivism incompatible with Instructional Design?

Before looking in depth at Constructivist Learning Environments (CLEs), we need to investigate the question "Is Constructivism incompatible with Instructional Design?"

In his 2006 essay First Principles of Instruction, M. David Merrill reviewed a representative range of instructional design theories, models, and research, "from basic descriptive laws about learning to broad curriculum programs that concentrate on what is taught rather than on how to teach" (2006b, p.1). Based on his research, the author elicited and synthesized elements common to Instruction, and used these to assess the underlying principles of instruction. The author describes principles as "relationship[s] that [are] always true under appropriate conditions regardless of program or practice" (2006a, p.1).

To be considered by Merrill, the principles he studied had to be

• Included in most of the instructional design theories reviewed
• Promote more effective, efficient, or engaging learning
• Supported by research
• General so that it applied to any delivery system or any instructional architecture (Clark 2003)
• Design-oriented

From this set of criteria, the author identified five principles of instruction.

1. The demonstration principle: Learning is promoted when learners observe a demonstration.
2. The application principle: Learning is promoted when learners apply the new knowledge.
3. The task-centered principle: Learning is promoted when learners engage in a task centered instructional strategy.
4. The activation principle: Learning is promoted when learners activate relevant prior knowledge or experience.
5. The integration principle: Learning is promoted when learners integrate their new knowledge into their everyday world.

1. The Demonstration Principle

Merrill asserts that principles are most appropriate for generalizable skills. These are skills that can be applied to two or more different specific situations. He asserts that the demonstration principle is most appropriate for three types of generalizable skill:

1. concept classification (kinds-of)
2. carrying out a procedure (how-to)
3. predicting consequences or finding faulted conditions in the execution of a process (what-happens).

A generalizable skill is represented by both information and portrayal. Information is general, inclusive, and applicable to many specific situations. Portrayal is specific, limited, and applicable to one case or a single situation. Information can be presented (tell) and recalled (ask). A portrayal can be demonstrated (show) and submitted to application (do).

(p.3)

The demonstration principle emphasizes the use of specific cases (portrayal). Merrill considers that lack of sufficient demonstration is a "common problem" (p.3) in much instruction. While the demonstration principle is strongly biased towards portrayal, effective and efficient instruction involves both presentation of information and demonstration with portrayal. Table 1 shows information and portrayal modalities that are consistent for each of the three categories of generalizable skill. A presentation and demonstration must be consistent if they are to support effective, efficient and engaging learning.

Table 1 Consistent Information and Portrayal for Categories of Learning

[click to enlarge]

More...

__________________

References:

Clark, R. C. (2003). Building Expertise: Cognitive Methods for Training and Performance Improvement. Washington D.C., International Society for Performance Improvement.

Merrill, M. D. (1997). Instructional Strategies that Teach. CBT Solutions (Nov/Dec): 1-11. [Internet] Available from: http://cito.byuh.edu/merrill/text/papers/Consistency.PDF Accessed 24 May 2008.

Merrill, M. D. (2006a). First Principles of Instruction. In C. M. Reigeluth & A. Carr (Eds.), Instructional Design Theories and Models III (Vol. III). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers.

Merrill, M. D. (2006b). First principles of instruction: a synthesis. In R. A. Reiser and J. V. Dempsey (Eds.) Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology. Columbus: Ohio, Merrill Prentice Hall.

--