Clark, R. C., & Mayer, R. E. (2011) Applying the Contiguity Principle. In Clark, R. C., & Mayer, R. E., E-learning and the science of instruction: Proven guidelines for consumers and designers of multimedia learning<\/em>. San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer.<\/p>\n The chapter explores what the authors described as two contiguity principles.\u00a0 Contiguity Principle 1 is the idea that words should be placed near the corresponding graphic on the screen.\u00a0 If this is achieved, then the authors describe the text and graphics as being “contiguous in space\u201d.\u00a0 (Clark and Mayer, 2011, p.93).\u00a0\u00a0 Contiguity Principle 2 is the principle that spoken words should be synchronised with corresponding graphics.\u00a0 The instructional designer is advised to consider how an audio narration should be integrated with animation\/video in an eLearning course.\u00a0 In particular, developers are warned that when spoken words describe actions in the graphics (including animation and video), the corresponding spoken words and graphics should be presented at the same time.\u00a0 The authors borrow from the world of cognitive learning theory to explain why the narration should not be separated from the graphics.\u00a0 If the learner listens to a narration followed by an animation, he needs to retain the relevant words in working memory so as to match up the appropriate words with the corresponding segment of the animation. However, this cognitive overload may prevent the learner from using other cognitive processes required for deep learning.<\/p>\n As well as offering the reader with advice on how to present eLearning content, they also explain how eLearning content should not be presented.\u00a0 Throughout the chapter, Clark and Mayer provide the reader with common violations of the contiguity principles.\u00a0 However, the two contiguity principles, whereby there is no separation of two different types of media, appear to break down when the authors warn the instructional designer to avoid simultaneously displaying animations and related text. This is possibly the most puzzling part of the chapter for the reader as in this case the authors are promoting the principle of separating text and animation. However, I think that the contiguity principles apply only to graphics and text or to graphics (including animation and video) and audio, and are not applicable to text and animation\/video.\u00a0 The rationale for separating text and animation is that if the learner starts reading the text while the animation is playing, he will miss a certain amount of the animation.<\/p>\n As well as using cognitive theory to support their hypothesis for Contiguity Principle 1, the authors refer to several research studies (Mayer, Steinhoff, Bower, & Mars, 1995; Moreno & Mayer, 1999) to support their hypothesis. Clark and Mayer also refer to eye-tracking studies involving text and corresponding diagrams where successful learners read a part of the text, then search the diagram for the object being described in the text.\u00a0 These studies demonstrate that this process is the then continually repeated. (Hegarty, Carpenter, & Just, 1996; Schmidt-Weigand, Kohnert, & Glowalla, 2010).\u00a0 Similarly, the authors cite research evidence (Mayer & Anderson, 1991, 1992; Mayer, Moreno, Boire, & Vagge, 1999; Mayer & Sims, 1994) to support their hypothesis for Contiguity Principle 2.<\/p>\n In concluding the chapter, the authors present eLearning practitioners with areas that require further research.\u00a0 These include questions about the amount of detail that should be included with graphics and the words as well as in what contexts spoken words should be used instead of printed words.\u00a0 Clark and Mayer suggest tools and examples that the eLearning practitioner might use to put the described theory into practice.\u00a0 The authors also provide the reader with a checklist that could be used in the design of eLearning lessons.\u00a0 The chapter not only provides eLearning practitioners with evidence on what works best, it also considers when and how it works.<\/p>\n References<\/strong><\/p>\n Hegarty. M., Carpenter, P.A., & Just, M.A. (1996). Diagrams in the comprehension of scientific texts. In R. Barr, M.L. Kamil, P. Mosenthal, & P.D. Pearson (Eds.), Handbook of reading research<\/em> (Vol. II; pp. 641\u2013668). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.<\/p>\n Mayer, R.E., & Anderson, R.B. (1991). Animations need narrations: An experimental test of a dual-coding hypothesis. Journal of Educational Psychology<\/em>, 83, 484\u2013490.<\/p>\n Mayer, R.E., Moreno, R., Boire, M., & Vagge, S. (1999). Maximising constructivist learning from multimedia communications by minimizing cognitive load. Journal of Educational Psychology<\/em>, 91, 638\u2013643.<\/p>\n Mayer, R.E., Steinhoff, K., Bower, G., & Mars, R. (1995). A generative theory of textbook design: Using annotated illustrations to foster meaningful learning of science text. Educational Technology Research and Development<\/em>, 43, 31\u201343.<\/p>\n Moreno, R., & Mayer, R.E. (1999). Cognitive principles of multimedia learning: The role of modality and contiguity. Journal of Educational Psychology<\/em>, 91, 358\u2013368.<\/p>\n Schmidt-Weigand, F., Kohnert, A., & Glowalla, U. (2010b). Explaining the modality and contiguity effects: New insights from investigating students\u2019 viewing behavior. Applied Cognitive Psychology<\/em>, 24, 226\u2013237.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Annotated Bibliography 3 Clark, R. C., & Mayer, R. E. (2011) Applying the Contiguity Principle. In Clark, R. C., & Mayer, R. E., E-learning and the science of instruction: Proven guidelines for consumers and designers of multimedia learning. San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer. The chapter explores what the authors described as two contiguity principles.\u00a0 Contiguity Principle … Continue reading M2-Annotated Bibliography 3<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-899","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-assessment","category-instructional-design"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/gerardkilkenny.ie\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/899","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/gerardkilkenny.ie\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/gerardkilkenny.ie\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/gerardkilkenny.ie\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/gerardkilkenny.ie\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=899"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"http:\/\/gerardkilkenny.ie\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/899\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1132,"href":"http:\/\/gerardkilkenny.ie\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/899\/revisions\/1132"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/gerardkilkenny.ie\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=899"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/gerardkilkenny.ie\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=899"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/gerardkilkenny.ie\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=899"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}