Strategies for Information Design and Processing of Multimedia Instructional Software —Based on Richard E. Mayer's Multimedia Instructional Design Principles

Multimedia instruction means presenting words and pictures that are intended to promote learning. Since there are severe limits on the amount of information processed in human working memory, multimedia instructional messages should be so designed as to guide appropriate cognitive processing during learning without overloading the learner’s cognitive system. To maximize learners’ cognitive processing of information, the information design and processing of multimedia instructional software must be consistent with the multimedia learning theory and mechanism so as to promote meaningful learning. It is found that the instructional methods like visualizing multimedia information, managing essential processing, reducing extraneous processing and fostering generative processing, devised in accordance with Mayer's multimedia learning principles, can significantly improve the effect of information representation and transmission, which, to a great extent, helps curb teachers’ tendency to neglect learners’ cognitive mechanism while processing the information of multimedia instructional software, and thus provides insight into multimedia instruction as well as the design of multimedia instructional software.