Tuesday, August 16, 2016

6. Coherence Principle #1

What Coherence Principle #1 Is

According to Clark and Mayer (2011), the coherence principle #1 is to avoid e-Lessons with extraneous audio. They further state that it is important to avoid cluttered lessons with materials that do not support the instructional goal.  (Clark & Mayer, 2011, p.151-154)
Extraneous audio can range from mere background noise contained within a video being played to background music added to entertain the viewer as they read the material on the screen. For many learners, noise of various forms are disturbing and prevent concentration that allows the viewer to gain a rich full understanding of the material being taught. Distractive sounds and animations added to a powerpoint bulleted presentation can become overwhelming and distractive to the learner if not relevant to the material being taught. One should limit the amount of sounds, animations, and discussion in order to achieve a cohesive lesson for the learner to endure. Not only average students, but also advanced students would be affected psychologically as the overwhelming sounds could prompt more of an entertainment response rather than an educational lesson. Distractions are unnecessary and should be limited only to those details that partner with the intended lesson and enhance the educational structure of the intended message. (Clark & Mayer, 2011, p.151-154)

How the Example Shows (or Doesn't) Coherence Principle #1

The below video was created to exaggerate the annoyance that overuse of the extraneous audio could embark on a students cognitive learning process.




How the Example Shows (or Doesn't) Coherence Principle #1

Below is an example of how distracting a background can be in just filming, in an educational background it is more prevalent as the learner is tasked with focusing on the intended educational material being absorbed into their cognitive processes. In this example, the viewer is merely trying to hear the speaker.

Reference

Clark, R. C., & Mayer, R. E. (2011). E-learning and the science of instruction: Proven guidelines for consumers and designers of multimedia learning. San Francisco: Pfeiffer

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