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

3.6. The Multimedia Principle Works Best for Novices

Does the multimedia principle apply equally to all learners? There is increasing evidence that our recommendation to use words and graphics is particularly important for learners who have low knowledge of the domain (whom we can call novices), rather than learners who have high knowledge of the domain (whom we can call experts). For example, in a series of three experiments involving lessons on brakes, pumps, and generators, Mayer and Gallini (1990) reported novices learned better from text and illustrations (such as shown in Figure 3.9) than from words alone (such as shown in Figure 3.8), but experts learned equally well from either condition. Apparently, the more experienced learners are ...