How we learn

Students learn in so many different ways, Mayers Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning is the combination of words and pictures and how people learn more effectively through this method. This is something I personally resonate with. I always say that I am a visual learner and that I learn best when I see information rather than just hearing it.

The three core principles are dual coding theory, limited capacity principle and active processing principle.

Words and pictures are processed through different systems, the brain has separate but connected systems for verbal and visual information. For example someone explaining how to draw a square, the explanation process is through the verbal system and the end result photo is processed throughout the visual system in the brain.

Leaning is an active process, when you watch a video, read a book, or listen to a lecture your brain selects what information seems important, it organizes the information into meaningful areas and it integrates the information with previous knowledge.

Your memory can only process a small amount of information at once, your brain is like a book shelf, if you put too many books on the shelf it will collapse. This is the same when students are given too much information, they become overwhelmed and their learning slows down. Students have a limited capacity as to what they can take in and it should be organized carefully.