The effect multimedia webpage design has on content transfer over a very fast network

The goal of this research was to create a set of baseline data that identified appropriate media for cognitive processing and retention of the content delivered on very fast networks. The World Wide Web is a relatively new medium for delivery of instructional material and very little research exists relating to the inclusion of media into Webpages. This report describes a Webpage media model created using hypermedia, visual literacy, interface design, cognition, and media research. The common theme in the literature was that exposure to content in multiple media formats enhances the cognitive processing of content resulting in improved retention. Logically, there has to be a point at which adding media to Webpages would become counter productive to the transfer of the content but the literature did not identify a point of diminishing return. The Webpage model uses network bandwidth as a factor in determining the influence media has on the cognitive processing of Web-based content. The model assumes the cognitive gain that media provides will be negated as cognitive interference increases with Webpage download time.; This study tested the Webpage model's assumptions for very fast networks. The model predicts that Webpages with text, graphics, animation and sound provides the best content retention and Webpages with text, graphics and animation are an alternative to Webpages with sound.; This study used a complementary method of quantitative and qualitative data analysis. The quantitative analysis found that students performed statistically better when Webpages included media instead of just text. Webpages with text, graphics, animation and sound performed statistically better than Webpages with text and graphics or Webpages with text-only. Webpages with text, graphics and animation are an alternative to Webpages that incorporate sound because no statistical difference was found between the two designs. The qualitative portion of the study supported the quantitative findings. However, thirty-seven percent of the respondents using Webpages with sound felt that the sound was distracting. The findings imply that Web developers need to be aware of the speed of the network the students will be using to access the content and how long the media they are using takes to download.