Review by: Hartmann, Werner (2004-07-04)

There is much controversy in the field of educational technology whether computer supported learning is better than learning in conventional environments such as in a classroom or from a text book. Studies and reports which promote e-learning very often are not built on research evidence but are rather doctrine-based. This article attempts to establish a science of e-learning, where e-learning is defined as any kind of teaching that uses computers.

The article provides three research methods as the core of a science of e-learning. (1) Replicated findings that have been found in a variety of contexts. (2) Rigorous methods in the form of well-designed and carefully executed studies. (3) Appropriate methods providing answers to useful research questions. The article further emphasizes the consensus among many media researchers that it is not beneficial to ask whether one medium is better than another, because an appropriately chosen instructional method is more important than the delivery medium.

The major part of the article stresses replicated effects found in studies of multimedia learning: modality effect, contiguity effect, multimedia effect, personalization effect, coherence effect, redundancy effect, pre-training effect, signalling effect, and pacing effect. Although these effects have been well known for over a decade, the article provides a concise overview of these effects and links them to e-learning. The multimedia principles are transferred into concrete design principles for the design of multimedia explanations.

These multimedia research findings by Richard Mayer and his research group are seminal in establishing a foundation for a science of e-learning. They should be considered a must-read for all those involved in the design of multimedia learning materials and in research on the effectiveness of e-learning. Note that the findings are restricted to those e-learning endeavors that design multimedia materials for human-computer interaction. A more detailed treatment of Richard Mayer’s findings can be found in the textbook by Clark, R. C. & Mayer, R. E. (2003) e-learning and the science of instruction. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.