Mid-Course Reflection

We're halfway through the course, and message design is already impacting, from the first reflection of information's intrinsic cognitive load to the relevant load currently. It all contributes to the coherence of cognition in our learnability. I have learned so much about cognitive load theory, multimedia theory, message design theory, user experience principles, and web design principles that I want to incorporate those five components of theories or design principles into my teaching and learning. It would be an excellent match for my educational philosophy, which includes an integrative approach to social constructivism, connectivism, student-centered learning, experiential learning, learning habits, and self-regulated learning.

Some of the ways these theories and principles can help students learn is first having a foundation of a theoretical framework or concepts that can be used in the instructional design for effective learning. The cognitive load and multimedia theories can promote understanding using relevant words and images in a chunking approach. According to Cavanagh & Kiersch's (2022) article, learners have different learning styles and can process information through two channels verbal (text and narration) and non-verbal (pictures and animations). When educational materials include words and images rather than just words, students learn more effectively. Learners recall more information when multimedia lessons are presented in small, user-paced chunks rather than as a whole unit (Cavanagh & Kiersch, 2022).

I have learned so much about learning theories and design principles. One critical perspective to denote is ensuring learners do not experience cognitive overload. It is an instructional design philosophy that mirrors our cognitive structure or how we process information (Sweller, 2012). Whatever the cognitive stage of your mental process, whether newly gained knowledge, knowledge diverted from processing new information, or deep integration of further and prior information, according to studies, learning is impaired when cognitive stress increases and working memory capacity exceeds limitations.

To effectively transform your message to learners using technology, a critical perspective of instructional message design is to be influenced by learning theories (Ramlatchan, 2019). Messaging should be structured, clear, concise, and simple, emphasizing unity while storytelling and using visual aids. The user experience (UX) design should be engaging, efficient, simple to use, and accessible with an emotional appeal. The Web design should have a visual hierarchy and responsive design. UX & Web Design should be user-centered and navigate easily, coherently, and consistently. UX and Web design can integrate strategies, scope, structure (storyboarding), and user interface (wireframe). The visuals and layouts harmonized to be hierarchical and consistent. The instructional design and evidence-based research can effectively impact the course materials in asynchronous or synchronous modes. Technological advancements are happening quickly, and Gen X, Y, and X were born into a digital world. The best thing to do is evaluate how the technology can integrate into your curriculum and apply theories and principles to help with the cognitive load for digital learning. We must ensure we are conveying the correct information in such a way so the learner can acquire the new information and apply it immediately in their current setting. Critical thinking and problem-solving abilities are required in the global marketplace of the twenty-first century.

Some takeaways are learning theories and user experience and web design principles essential. The instructional design and how you convey to the learner; connect meaningful knowledge for students to learn The cognitive load of instructional content should be balanced. The instructional content should utilize message design theory and apply Mayers 12 Multimedia evidence-based principles. We must ensure that each learner feels included and can access instructional materials.

I want to learn more about how cognition and learning behaviors integrated with message design principles.

References:

Mayer, R. E. (2009). Multimedia learning. Cambridge University Press.

Ramlatchan, M. (2019). Instructional Message Design: Theory, Research and Practice. ODU Digital Commons, 1(1). https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/instructional_message_design/

Sweller, J. (2012). Cognitive load theory. Encyclopedia of the Sciences of Learning, 601-605. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1428-6_446