Contiguity

Presenting related materials at the same time (temporal) and visually close together (spatial) reduces the effort students must exert to make links between elements (Noetel et al., 2021).

• Label diagrams directly, rather than using a legend or key
• Hide irrelevant information from diagrams or graphs
• Focusing on one concept at a time, and ensure a logical flow between related concepts

Signalling

Highlighting key information as it is presented reduces cognitive load for students and improves learning (Mayer, 2021; Noetel et al., 2021).

Direct students’ attention to the relevant information at the right time by:

• In PowerPoint, animate dot points in one by one as each point is discussed (tutorial)
• Use highlighting, arrows or circles, and virtual laser pointers

Multimedia / Redundancy

Allowing students to use both their auditory and visual channels simultaneously (i.e. narration with relevant imagery) to digest information can help reduce their cognitive load (Mayer, 2014; Noetel et al., 2021). Conversely, when text on screen is simply read out loud providing redundant information, this can have the opposite effect (Noetel et al., 2021); the notable exceptions being for students from a different language background (where captions or transcripts can be extremely helpful), or when introducing new technical vocabulary (Mayer et al., 2020).

• Reduce the amount of written text presented on slides, and instead rely on relevant imagery wherever possible.
• If imagery is not suitable, use key words or phrases as opposed to whole sentences.
• Slides should not be a script to be read, but rather designed to help emphasise the concepts being communicated.
• Additional content can be included in the “Notes” section in PowerPoint if required.

Personalisation

Sometimes jargon is intrinsic to the task at hand (e.g., learning what “photosynthesis” means), but where it is not, simple language reduces the cognitive load for students. (Noetel et al., 2021).

• Use inclusive language (e.g. ‘your diaphragm’ as opposed to ‘the diaphragm’)
• Use simple vocabulary and sentence structure where possible, especially for students from other language backgrounds

Generative activity

Requiring students to apply a new concept immediately after receiving instruction has positive effects on learning and retention (Fiorella et al., 2020; Lawson & Mayer, 2021), especially in the form of frequent low-stakes assessment such as multiple choice quizzes (Sotola & Crede, 2021).

• Embed short quizzes within a video (Echo360 tutorial) or immediately after viewing within the LMS.

Segmenting

Breaking concepts into short, focussed chunks allows the student to focus and fully grasp a concept before proceeding, and gives students more control over the pacing to better manage their cognitive load (Fiorella & Mayer, 2018; Mayer, 2021; Noetel et al., 2021).

• Split content into short, focussed chunks around 6-9 minutes in length.

Embodiment

When engaged by an instructor through gestures, eye-contact, and enthusiastic presentation, students try harder to make sense of the content (Fiorella et al., 2019; Mayer et al., 2020). However a static or unengaged presenter can in some instances become a distraction for students

• Use the self-service studios available on all campuses to easily switch between the camera and the slides to help guide students attention
• Be enthusiastic, engage with the camera, don’t be afraid to smile and let your personality show in your presentation

Coherence / Seductive details

The coherence principle suggests instructors remove “seductive details” from their presentations that could distract students from the core content (Noetel et al., 2021).

• Remove irrelevant or tangentially-related videos or anecdotes
• Avoid distracting images such as memes etc.
• Keep your slide content focused and relevant