Understanding the power of visual communication => Trainers should understand the benefits and importance of combining words with images in training, such as increased engagement, retention and comprehension.

Richard Mayer did a lot of research about the development principles for multimedia learning. Five elements of this research are relevant for this block:

coherence principle
modality principle
proximity principle
redundancy principle
signaling principle

How can you help students with optimal learning? The answer is provided by the Multimedia Learning theory of Richard Mayer, professor at the University of California. This theory is evidence-based. This short film was created with Videoscribe. Free Week Try: http://www.sparkol.com?aid=76483

You need brains to learn. You can store an infinite amount in it. New information enters a part of the brain: your working memory. For example, what I'm saying now and what you see, what you already know about optimal learning, to your best teacher, and to your worst teacher, you may observe the hand that draws this asterisk on how you teach yourself and on Facebook, that you need to check again. With 7 items, your working memory is full.

What does that mean for an average student? Most of what you learn comes in through two senses: the eyes and—importantly—the ears. Words enter through the ears, the eyes register images. For the working memory they count, if done correctly, but as a 1 item for the working memory.

That is interesting for a teacher. It usually uses 3 types of media. You can use images on a screen or board. You can also place accompanying text on it. And you can also explain the subject matter orally in your own words.

Professor Mayer gives specific advice on how a student can learn better from you.

His first tip is the redundancy principle: And using images and oral explanations and text on the board is too much. It is best to delete the text on the board.

The multimedia principle, i.e. using multiple media at the same time, has the same conclusion: images and oral explanation at the same time make learning easier than explanation alone. If you have the opportunity: use supporting image.

The modality principle, ie which media go well together, also says: if you can choose between the use of images and oral explanations and images with accompanying text, then choose images and words.

If you still want to use image and text, then think of the spatial contiguity principle, the time between or more precisely: the spatial proximity of image and text. You can choose between text directly on the image or separating image and text into two screens. For example, first a diagram or an animation and then the explanation, then you put an extra burden on the working memory. Preferably place an image directly next to the text to promote learning.

Text on a board or beamer can also be useful: the signaling principle. With written text you can very effectively emphasize the key words that support spoken words and the image.

Different teacher, but on with the research.

With oral explanations, a student can learn more easily if you make use of personal examples or put yourself in the perspective of a student. Words like 'I' and 'you' also work well. This also applies to text on the board. That is the personalization principle. Formal language and text burden working memory.

If you are explaining material orally when the exact same words are written on the board, delete that text. That does not help, it even burdens the working memory unnecessarily. This is another example of the redundancy principle.

And even if you want to illustrate your own words with some images or some playful text, remember that you are putting the working memory to work. That is the coherence principle. Only use relevant image or text.

Those were the general principles. The effects do differ per individual, the individual difference effect. The principles work best with learners with high spatial awareness, important when measuring an IQ, but of course difficult to determine in a classroom. But it also works well for learners who have little prior knowledge.

Research has therefore shown that a student can learn better through oral explanations with directly relevant images, videos or animation.

People sometimes ask me, is there a theory behind this? Hell yes. 1. the dual channel, 2. the limited capacity and 3. the active processing assumption. Dual channel means that words and images come in separately but are tied together at the end of the working memory. There they also link to existing prior knowledge. This prior knowledge also enters the working memory. And that affects the limited capacity, the limited capacity of the working memory of a maximum of 7 items for about 20 seconds.

Active processing is the assumption that learners construct their own knowledge. And that is an important tenet of cognitivism, one of the schools of thought.

Finally, do you want to help students learn better?

Oral explanation with direct supporting image at the same time is superior.
Always be careful with text on sheets.

Through visualisation, we take advantage of the following skills of the human brain:

Observing and sensing
Association and giving meaning to these associations (combining the meaning and what you see)
Analysis
Sub-mentality => transform the visual information into more general information

Through visualisation, it is easier for the students to appropriate the information as the drawing leaves them space to fill their own part of the story and express their thoughts.