Google Slides
For this assignment, I created a screencast using Screencast-o-matic or Screenpal, of a short lesson I gave on Google Slides on the topic of military group sizes. I explain the use of Google Slides for educational purposes and its respective features.
The Principles of Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning
After going through the module and reading about the principles, the most intuitive principle to me is the principle of modality. It reminded me of watching a movie, where the audience gains information by listening and watching, instead of just reading some text. Audiences tend to pay closer attention when they have to listen to something rather than just reading off a slide.
The most surprising principle is the voice principle, where a human voice is more effective than a machine voice. It was something that I had not realized, but when I thought more about it, it was clear as day. The monotonous sound of a machine just doesn’t have the same ring. The coherence principle was a notable one as well, as it reminded me of my high school teachers putting in memes in their presentations to better entertain us and to get our attention.
Image obtained from ZME Science (https://cdn.zmescience.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/mental-health-2313426_960_720.png)
The Principles within the Screencast
When creating my screencast, I tried adhering to the principle of modality the most. I tried my best to minimize text in my screencast although there were some text that needed to be there. I also tried using symbols in an effort to help the viewer symbolize the size of these military groups. Following the principle was challenging, as I had to think of ways to communicate the ideas while minimalizing text. I attempted to follow segmenting as well by dividing up my presentation between working on the title slide and the body slides. The use of the legend was my attempt at following the pretraining principle, although this was challenging as well. I also tried to follow the personalization principle, by using conversational language rather than a scripted message. It may have seemed too lax at times but it was difficult due to trying to think of things to say while trying not to be uptight.
A principle of media design that I failed to follow in my screencast is the redundancy principle. When watching over my screencast again, I noticed that there were a lot of smiley faces, and it all meant relatively the same thing. I felt that it could have been streamlined more. I will keep this principle in mind in the future. Another principle I noticed that I missed was the coherence principle. I noticed some unnecessary content that could have been left out, mostly on me saying “um” a lot, but also rambling about my decision to choose the topic.
In the future, I will keep in mind the principles of redundancy and coherence to effectively communicate my ideas and to help others learn better.
2023-09-28 at 9:34 am
Hey Ryan!
This is a very well done screencast! It was clear and educational. I enjoyed the personalization principle as it made it feel more comforting and as if someone was actually interested in the topic rather than it being clearly scripted and forced.
I also struggled with the coherence principle so it was nice to know I am not alone!
Thank you for sharing! I learnt a lot and appreciate your added thoughts of multimedia principles.
-Kayley
2023-10-03 at 12:46 pm
I really enjoyed reading your blog post, Ryan! Your explanation of the principles of cognitive theory of multimedia learning was very clear and well-said! Your post definitely made me think about things I hadn’t when I was creating my post.
Your screencast was very well done too! I liked how you used an anecdote in the beginning to draw in the audiences attention. It was also very helpful for learning more about military sized groups, something I definitely lack knowledge on. Additionally, your use of audio visual and conversational language made it very easy to follow along! I felt as though you understood and implemented the principles of cognitive theory of multimedia learning to your lesson. Looking forward to reading your future blog posts!
2023-10-17 at 1:00 pm
Hey Ryan, I just wanted to drop a comment and say that your blog post was a fantastic read! Your explanation made complex concepts easier to understand. It really got me thinking about my own approach to creating content.
I have to give props to your screencast as well. The way you started with that engaging anecdote was a brilliant touch and it immediately hooked me in!
I also appreciated how you seamlessly integrated audio and visuals with a conversational tone. It made the whole lesson flow effortlessly and adhered to the principles of cognitive theory of multimedia learning. I’m definitely looking forward to more of your future blog posts. Great job!