The multimedia item I chose to enhance was an infographic. I altered the topic to better fit the objective of the assignment to exhibit learning theories in the infographic. Infographics are an easy way to engage the audience by being attractive to the eye and easy to read. Using limited colours makes it less distracting and emphasizes the material. I chose to use only few colours in order to not distract the audience away from the message of the infographic. The use of highlighting/bolding, the signalling principal, draws attention to the most important information, which I displayed by making certain key words a different shade. I personally find it helpful when studying to highlight and bold important information as it makes it faster to recall and stick in your brain a lot easier when essential information is highlighted. Using words and pictures is much more beneficial than just words. I added only minimal images to draw attention but not too excessive.  Reducing extraneous material avoids viewers from reading irrelevant material and keeping it to the key details. This can help reduce study time by only reviewing material that is essential. Displaying only a few chunks to remember makes it easier to intake as we have a limited capacity for material processing. Which is one of the assumptions from Mayer’s cognitive theory. Mayer presented that we process information best in chunks of 5 to 7, which is why I chose to include 5 sections for my infographic. The first section I included about study groups examines Piaget’s socio-constructivism theory, which states that we form a better understanding by actively engaging with others to share ideas and theories. An interactive learning environment aids in deeper learning and a better overall understanding of material. From a viewer’s point of view this infographic provides brief summaries of tips for better learning and information storing. The combination of words and images enhances the likelihood of material transferring through sensory memory, to working memory, with the goal of ending up in long term memory. 

References:

Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning. (2011). In ETEC510: Design Wiki. http://etec.ctlt.ubc.ca/510wiki/Cognitive_Theory_of_Multimedia_Learning

Mayer, R. E. (Ed.). (2014). The Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139547369