Psychology · Applies to any presentation or media segment, from a 5-minute input to a full e-learning course.

Mayer's Principles of Multimedia Learning

Mayer's principles are evidence-based design rules for learning from words and pictures, derived from his Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning. The theory assumes separate visual and verbal channels, limited capacity in each, and active processing, and the principles aim to reduce extraneous load, manage essential load and foster generative processing.

When to use Mayer's Principles of Multimedia Learning

Whenever a session contains presentation segments, pre-recorded video, e-learning modules or visual materials.

How Mayer's Principles of Multimedia Learning works

Use the principles as a review checklist for slides, videos, e-learning and handouts, and when deciding how a facilitator presents input segments in a live session.

Phases of Mayer's Principles of Multimedia Learning

  1. Cut the extraneous: Remove decorative content, tangents and extra text (coherence), and add cues that highlight structure (signaling). Avoid narrating the exact text on a slide (redundancy).
  2. Place words and visuals together: Put labels next to the parts of a diagram (spatial contiguity) and say things while showing them (temporal contiguity).
  3. Manage essential load: Break complex content into learner-paced segments (segmenting), introduce key terms beforehand (pre-training), and explain visuals with speech rather than on-screen text (modality).
  4. Foster generative processing: Use words and pictures together (multimedia), a conversational tone (personalization) and a human voice (voice) to encourage learners to make sense of the material.
  5. Check the presenter's role: A visible talking head does not by itself improve learning (image principle); use presenter presence when it adds gesture or attention cues.

Key principles

  • Dual channels, limited capacity, active processing
  • Reduce extraneous processing
  • Manage essential processing
  • Foster generative processing

Best for

  • Slide and video design
  • E-learning and asynchronous modules
  • Pre-reads and handouts
  • Online and hybrid presentations

Considerations

  • Most evidence comes from short, lab-based lessons with novice learners; effects can shrink or reverse for experts.
  • Principles govern how input is presented; they do not replace active or interactive learning activities.
  • The number of principles varies by edition (commonly 12 in the 2009 second edition).

Attribution & sources

Developed by Richard E. Mayer, 2001

Primary source

Design a session with Mayer's Principles of Multimedia Learning

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