8 - Coherence Principle #3

Brief Definition

In an effort to keep all materials in an e-lesson completely logical and comprehensible, Coherence Principle #3, similar to the Modality Principle, stresses that adding extra words, either written or narrated, to e-lessons is a less effective teaching method (Clark and Mayer, 2011). Research shows that removing material that is not directly related to the e-lesson is a best practice in creating e-lesson materials.

An Artifact

The effectiveness of the tutorial “Anaylze Collection Using Follett Titlewise and Destiny” could be improved with the removal of occasional text boxes that pop up in addition to the audio narrative and the requirement of the viewer to follow the mouse clicks on the screen. The information in the text boxes may be nice to know, but it isn’t essential to learning how to analyze your library collection using Follett Titlewave and Destiny. This tutorial is, therefore, in violation of Coherence Principle #3.

References

Clark, R. C., & Mayer, R. E. (2011). E-learning and the science of instruction: Proven guidelines for consumers and designers of multimedia learning. San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer.