Does language matter in multimedia learning? Personalization principle revisited.

Abstract

This study examines one of the design principles of multimedia learning in a context dissimilar to the one in which it was originally tested. Personalization principle states that the amount of learning increases when the style of language is informal and conversational. In an attempt to uncover the relationship between learning and language styles with varying degrees of personalization and formality, 89 college students were tested with computerized instructional content composed in 1 of the 3 styles: personalized informal, personalized formal, and neutral-formal. The materials consisted of a short text on stellar death with illustrative pictures and animation. The visuals and text were identical for all groups except for additional expressions for personalization and minimal structural changes to evoke a conversational style in 2 of the testing conditions. After reading in 1 of the 3 conditions, the participants were asked retention and transfer questions. The participants also rated the computer program for interest, difficulty of the material, and their motivation for its style. The findings were generally consistent with the predictions of the cognitive theory of multimedia learning except for the effect size for retention. Implications for multimedia design guidelines in varied educational and linguistic contexts are discussed.

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