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

7.5. Psychological Reasons to Avoid Extraneous Graphics in e-Learning

Pictures—including color photos and action video clips—can make a multimedia experience more interesting. This assertion flows from arousal theory—the idea that students learn better when they are emotionally aroused. In this case, photos or video segments are intended to evoke emotional responses in learners, which in turn are intended to increase their level of cognitive engagement in the learning task. Thus, pictures and video are emotion-grabbing devices that make the learner more emotionally aroused, and therefore more actively involved in learning the presented material. Arousal theory predicts that adding interesting but extraneous pictures will promote better learning. ...