The multimedia learning object I have selected is an interactive video. This interactive video is effective in increasing the knowledge transfer on the topic of labor and delivery. The object is in line with multimedia principle which states that people learn better from words and pictures than from words alone (Mayer & Mayer, 2005). Pictures enhance knowledge transfer as they increase learner’s interactivity and promotes visual literacy skills. Visual literacy skills are effective in developing critical thinking skills and lifelong learning. Furthermore, this interactive video is in line with the spatial contiguity principle which asserts that people learn better when corresponding words and pictures are presented near rather than far from each other on the screen or page or in time. As presented in a video, each slide contains a subtopic and all the information therein without extending to the next slide. Related information follows each other without introducing extraneous materials as is with the coherence principle. Moreover, the video adheres to the feedback principle which states that people learn better from multimedia lessons when they receive explanative feedback on their performance (Mayer & Mayer, 2005). Indeed, the video embeds questions which allows students to attempt and give immediate feedback.
This interactive video is based on the dual coding theory which asserts that we take in information using the eyes and the ears. The ears take in sound/auditory stimuli and the eyes take in visual/images. According to the theory, the human brain has two short term memory channels: auditory and visual channels. These short-term memory channels first store the information before it is transmitted to the long-term channels. Taking too much information fills-up the short term memory channel and an individual can no longer take any other information. The video uses few words in a sentence to allow learner’s grasp the content easily without overwhelming the short-term memory channel. The dual coding theory further alludes that images and texts are taken in through a similar channel. This interactive video is in line with this assertion as the video does not mix images and text which would otherwise overwhelm the visual channel.
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