Putting principles into practice
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Redundancy
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Coherence
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Spatial Contiguity
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The redundancy principle states that people learn more deeply from graphics and narration than from graphics, narration, and on-screen text. Sometimes less is more. Including "busy" graphics and excessive on-screen text adds to cognitive load thereby limiting the effectiveness of working memory to process information.
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The coherence principle states that people learn more deeply from a multimedia message when extraneous material is excluded rather than included. Stay on the topic. War stories and other aside information may be interesting or entertaining, but often they distract the learner from the lesson objective. If you use personal stories (for example), be sure that they are relevant to the lesson.
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The spatial contiguity principle states that people learn more deeply from a multimedia message when corresponding words and pictures are presented near rather than far from each other on the page or screen. Don't make students have to make the connection for themselves. Pictures and associated information should not turn into a scavenger hunt. Keep them close together.
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