e-Learning and the Science of Instruction: Proven Guidelines for Consumers and Designers of Multimedia Learning

7.4. Avoid e-Lessons with Extraneous Graphics

The previous section shows that learning is depressed when we add extraneous sounds to a multimedia presentation, so perhaps we should try another way to spice up our lessons, namely interspersing interesting video clips. For example, in the database lesson we could insert some news video discussing recent database thefts from government agency computers. What is the learning impact of adding related but not directly relevant pictures and video clips to e-learning lessons?

Based on what we know about human learning and the evidence we summarize next, we offer a second version of the coherence principle: Avoid adding extraneous pictures. This recommendation does not mean that interesting graphics ...