E-Learning Theory – Theoretical Models for Teaching and Research (2023)

Haixia He

E-learningtheory isbuiltoncognitive science principlesthatdemonstratehowthe useand designofeducational technologycanenhance effective learning(David, 2015; Wang 2012).The theorywas developed from a set of principlescreatedbased on Cognitive Load Theory (Sweller, Van Merriënboer & Paas, 2019).AccordingtoDavid (2015),Cognitive Load Theoryis “the amount of mental effort involved in working memory” (n.p.) during a task and can be categorized into germane,intrinsic,and extraneous effort.Since theworking memory has limited capacity andthebrainwill suffer fromoverload iflearnersare presented with too much information, causing inefficient learning, it is essential tobalance these three types of load to promote learning efficiency(Clark, Nguyen &Sweller, 2005).Based on this,Mayer,Swellerand Moreno (2015)established 11design principles that were created to reduce extraneous cognitive load and manage germane and intrinsic loads at an appropriate level for learners using technology (Mayer,Sweller& Moreno, 2015; Wikipedia, 2020).Thesetypes of cognitive load, along with design principles and technology, comprise e-learning theory.E-learning theorybelongs tothegrand theory of Connectivismbecause itemphasizes how technologies can be used and designed to create newlearning opportunities andtopromote effective learning.

Multimedia learning is one specificprincipleof e-learning theory, and itcontendsthat deeper learning can be promotedusing two formats among audio, visual, and text instead of one or three(Mayer,Sweller& Moreno, 2015).Previous studies relevant to e-learning theoryhave provided evidence that multimedia design principlescanfostereffective learning (Mayer & Moreno, 2003; Moreno & Mayer, 2007).For example,Mayer (1997) conducted several reviews of multimedia learning and found that multimedia instructionwaseffective. To be specific, Mayer (1997) reviewedeightstudies on whether multimedia instruction was effective and found that students who were givenapresentation with both verbal and visual explanationshada75% higher median score forcreative solutions on problem-solving transfer tests than studentswho experiencedonly verbal explanation. Tenstudies reviewed by Mayer (1997) found that students showedscored more than50%over the median oncreative solution transfer tests when verbal and visualdescriptionswereconcurrentlyemployed.

Personalization isalso anessential principleof e-learning theory.This principle suggeststhatpresentingwords inaconversational and informal stylecan help enhanceeffectivelearning (Mayer et al., 2015).Several studieshaveshownthatpersonalization canbe effectivein learning.For example,Kartal’s(2010)study investigatedthe effectiveness ofthedesign principle ofpersonalization with 89 college students in anIstanbuluniversity in Turkey by testing their computerized instructional content inapersonalized informal style, personalized formalstyle,and neutral-formal style. The results showed that the amount of learning increased when the language style was formal and conversational.

Another study conducted byKurt (2011)showed consistent resultswith Kartal’s (2010) study. Kurt (2011)examined the personalization effectwith multimedia material inaformal style with 22 students and conversational style with 23 students. Using an achievement test, a cognitive load scale for both groups,and a questionnaire for the personalized group, Kurt found that students’ cognitive load scores in the personalized groupwere significantly different fromand better thanthose in the non-personalized group. Besides, students in the personalized group said that the conversational styleappliedin the multimedia software inspired them to learn and they felt that arealhuman was talking to them.In addition, students showedapreferenceformultimedia materials.

Several other studies have also shownotherdesign principles of e-learning theory to be effective.Some researchers studied themodality principle,which claims that the use of visuals accompanied by audio narrationinstead of on-screen textismore effective for learning(Mayer et al.,2015). For example,Moreno (2006) conducted a meta-analysis on modality effects. The results revealed significant learning benefits due tothemodality principle across different media.

As can be seen from the above discussion, applying the principles of e-learning theory with its design principles can promote effective learning. Therefore, e-learning theory can be useful for teachers to design effective courses and for researchers to understand how effective learning with and through technology can happen.

The modelin Figure 1 demonstratesthat concepts of three types of cognitive load and eleven empirical principles compose two constructs:cognitive load anddesign principles. These two constructs then combine to lead to the proposition of e-learning theory.

Conceptsand Constructs

As noted previously, the three cognitiveloadsareintrinsic, germane, and extraneousbased on the amount of mental effort.Intrinsic load is“the mental work imposed by the complexity of the content in your lessons and is primarily determined by your instructional goals” (Clark et al., 2005, p.9).Germaneload is “mental work imposed by instructional activities that benefit the instructional goal” (Clark et al., 2005, p.11).Extraneous load is “the mental work that is irrelevant to the learning goal and consequently wastes limited mental resources”(Clark et al, 2005, p.12).Together these form the construct “cognitive load.”

E-learning theoryis also composed of principles that can be integrated into instructional design; they that demonstrate“how educational technology can be used and designed to promote effective learning” (Wang, 2012, p.346). The elevenprinciplesof the modelthat can promote effective learningare:

1. Multimedia principle:Usingtwo formats of audio, visual, and text instead of using one or three.

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2. Modality principle:Explainingvisual content with audio narration instead of on-screen text.

3. Coherence principle:Avoiding irrelevant videos and audio.

4. Contiguity principle:Aligningrelevantinformationto correspondingpicturesconcurrently.

5. Segmenting principle:Managing complicated content by breaking a lesson into smallparts.

6. Signaling principle:Offering signals for the narration, such as arrows, circles, and highlights.

7. Learner control principle:Allowingthelearner to control their learning pace.

8. Personalization principle:Presenting words inaconversationaland informalstyle.

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9. Pre-training principle:Providing descriptionsor explanationsfor keyconceptsin a lessonbeforethe main procedure of that lesson.

10. Redundancy principle:Presentingvisuals with audio oron-screentext but not both.

11. Expertiseeffect:Considering that design principles mayhaveadifferent effect on learners withvariousamounts of prior knowledge.(Clark & Mayer, 2016;Mayer,2003;Mayer & Moreno, 2003;Mayer et al., 2015)

Together, these eleven principles form the construct “design principles.”

Overall, the ideas of cognitive load anddesign principles can be integrated to reduceextraneous cognitive load and manage germane and intrinsic loadsby making it easier for learners’ brainsto handle the amount of information and processing that they must do during instructional tasks.

Proposition

Based on the concepts and constructs, the model endswith the proposition, thatifteachersdesign principled taskswith educational technologies that reduceextraneous cognitive load andmanagegermane and intrinsic load at appropriate levels for students, they can learn effectively(Mayer,Sweller& Moreno, 2015).

Severalpossible waysexist for usingthismodelin research and practice. For example,researcherscan use this model to better understandhowdesign principles can be integratedininstruction to promote effective learning. Researchers can also conduct studies usingthee-learning theory model to describe the design principlesinlearningcontexts.In addition, this model can also help researchersaddressthe followingtopics:

• Howresearch-based e-learning methodologiescanbe usedto createaneffective e-learning course.

• Howteachers canminimizeextraneous load and manageintrinsic load to helpeffectivelearning.

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• Which design principles could contribute most to effective student learning.

Furthermore,teachers could applythee-learning theorymodelin their classroomsto create effective e-learning courses.For example, teachers canhelpstudentsmanage theirintrinsic cognitive load bysplittingthe content so that students can acquire knowledge step by step(Clark et al., 2005).Teachers canalsoscaffold students with smallportionsof new content graduallyso thatstudents cancontrol their learninginaself-paced e-learningenvironment(Clark et al., 2005). Further, teachers can use basic digitalcommunication toolswith visuals, text,and audio todemonstratelearning content in ways that can help to reducestudents’ intrinsiccognitive loads.In addition, teacherscanapply effective graphics, audio, and text tominimize redundant content, concentrate onimportantcontent, and offer performance assistance to increase external memory.More examples of how teachers can applye-learning theory inclassroomsinclude:

• Reducing extraneous cognitive load by avoiding irrelevant audio or complex visuals to describe complicated text(the coherence principle)

• Managing intrinsic cognitive load by segmenting content into small parts and using pretraining to teach concepts and facts separately(the segmenting principle).

• Fosteringgermane cognitive load by adding practice activities andrelevant visuals(the modality principle) (Clark & Mayer, 2016).

There is no need to use all eleven principles to enhance students’learning. Specific design principles can be used indifferent situations,depending onteachers’ instructional objectives andstudents’ learning objectives.

E-learning theory is about designing educational technology use topromote effective learningby reducingextraneous cognitive load and managinggermane and intrinsic loadsat students’ appropriate levels.It can be challenging for teachers to design tasks at an appropriate level for students; thee-learning theorymodelcan help teachersunderstandhow cognitive load can be categorized andcombined with design principles to make effective learning with technology happen.

Clark, R.C., & Mayer, R.E. (2016).E-learning and the science of instruction: Proven guidelines for consumers and designers of multimedia learning(4thed.). John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Clark, R. C., Nguyen, F., &Sweller, J. (2005).Efficiency in learning: Evidence-basedguidelinestomanage cognitive load. Pfeiffer.

David, L. (2015, December). E-learning Theory (Mayer, Sweller, Moreno). Learning Theories. https://www.learning-theories.com/e-learning-theory-mayer-sweller-moreno.html.

E-learning theory. (2020, April 11). InWikipedia.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-learning_(theory)

Kartal, G. (2010). Does language matter in multimedia learning? Personalization principle revisited. Journal of Educational Psychology, 102(3), 615.

Kurt, A.A. (2011). Personalizationprinciple inmultimedialearning: Conversationalversusformalstyle inwrittenword. TOJET: The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 10(3), 185-192.

Mayer, R. E. (1997). Multimedia learning: Are we asking the right questions? Educational Psychologist, 32(1), 1–19.

Mayer, R. (2003). Elements of a science ofe-learning. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 29(3), 297–313.

Mayer, R.E., Moreno, R., &Sweller, J. (2015). E-learning theory.https://www.learning-theories.com/e-learning-theory-mayer-sweller-moreno.html.

Mayer, R. E., & Moreno, R. (2003). Nine ways to reduce cognitive load in multimedia learning.Educational Psychologist, 38(1), 43-52.

Moreno, R. (2006). Does the modality principle hold for different media? A test of the method‐affects‐learning hypothesis. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 22(3), 149-158.

Moreno, R., & Mayer, R. (2007). Interactive multimodal learning environments.Educational Psychology Review,19(3), 309-326.

Sweller, J., Van Merriënboer, J. J. G., & Paas, F. (2019). Cognitive architecture and instructional design: 20 years later.Educational Psychology Review,31(2), 261–292.

Wang, V. C. (2012). Understanding and promoting learning theories.International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Modern Education,8(2), 343-347.