I enjoyed this week’s topic of exploring more practical guidelines for designing effective multimedia learning material. When watching the video, I noticed Dr. Ray Pastore did not follow the following principles of multimedia learning:

Modality principle: People learn better from graphics and narration than from graphics and printed text.

Embodiment Principle: People do not necessarily learn better when the speaker’s image is on the screen.

Redundancy principle: People learn better when the same information is not presented in more than one format.

I believe an expert may not be able to follow all the principles when creating a multimedia learning object because, as Dr. Pastore mentions in his video, every learning situation is unique, so there are always exceptions.

I could definitely see myself using H5P in my practice. I love how it makes it simple to create interactive content that will make learning more engaging for students. I would likely use the H5P tool when sharing videos with my students to test their comprehension. In the past, I have used Edpuzzle, which is a website that allows students to watch educational videos. The videos pause throughout, and the students have to answer comprehension questions, similar to the features offered by the H5P tool.

The H5P tool could also be used to create presentations with multiple choice questions or fill in the blanks. These features will help students maintain their focus because they will be looking for the answers throughout the presentation, thus encouraging active listening. Further, teachers can create learning games using the H5P tool. Games reinforce the content being taught, as well as create a positive classroom atmosphere. Click here to play an interactive game on the H5P website that tells you what berry you are.

I found it helpful when Dr. Ray Pastore compared the act of overloading students’ working memory to an overflowing glass of water. I was able to relate to this because I have had experiences in school where I felt my working memory was being overloaded. For example, when teachers would spend an entire class lecturing and then move onto a new topic right away, my memory would feel overloaded. This is why I believe it is important to consistently reinforce the concepts that I am teaching to my students so that the learning will be stored in their long-term memory. When the students are involved in the learning process and they are exposed to concepts more than once, they will develop a deeper understanding of the material.

Reference

Pastore, Ray. [Ray Pastore, Ph.D.]. (2018, August 16). What is Multimedia Learning? What is Multimedia? [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=368&v=g-sknUVq1mk&feature=emb_title