The Effect Of Modes Of Orientation Helping Information Presentation On Cognitive Load In Multimedia Learning

The multimedia learning effect not only is related to presentation of the interface information, but also taking into account the learner's cognitive laws under the multimedia environment. Poor design of multimedia information will increase the learner's cognitive load. Given appropriate help information, the learner's cognitive load can be optimized. Based on the Cognitive Load Theory, Multimedia Learning Theory and Dual-coding Theory, this study explored the effect of orientation help information and its presentation modes on cognitive load in multimedia learning. The research consists of 3 experiments.Research1 investigated the influence of presenting directional help information or not on the learner's cognitive load and learning effect. In experiment 2 and 3, the author investigated the influence of the different orientation help information presentation modes on cognitive load and learning effect of learners with different working memory capacity. Experimental results show that:(1)When materials are more difficult and the learners have lower prior knowledge, orientation help information can increase the learners' germane cognitive load and promote their memory and transfer test achievement.(2) When learners have higher prior knowledge and the materials are easier, providing orientation help information doesn't increase the learners' germane cognitive load, but enhance better transfer test achievement.(3) The general trend that the different presentations of orientation help information increasing the germane cognitive load is: auditory presentation (whether object working memory capacity or terms working memory capacity) the best, followed by audio-visual presentation, visual presentation is the worst.(4) When learning images animation multimedia material , subjects with large object working memory capacity have higher germane cognitive load comparing those with small object working memory capacity. But subjects with different terms working memory capacity have no significant difference on three cognitive loads.(5) The presentation modes of three cognitive loads have no significant difference on learner's memory and transfer test achievement. (6) The memory test performances of the subjects with large object working memory capacity are better than those with small object working memory capacity.The memory and transfer test achievement of subjects with different terms working memory capacity have no significant difference.