Boost eLearning Effectiveness with Coherence Principle

The Coherence Principle, another key component of Mayer's Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning, argues that extraneous (unnecessary) material should be eliminated to enhance learning. This principle asserts that the inclusion of irrelevant sounds, images, and even words can cause cognitive overload, undermining the learning process.

How Does the Coherence Principle Enhance Employee Performance?

By promoting focused learning, the Coherence Principle aids employees in comprehending and retaining crucial information, thereby enabling them to effectively apply this knowledge in their jobs.

Here are examples of how you may see this principle applied to improve eLearning.

• Poor: A course on data privacy includes unrelated animations and music.
• Better: The course removes the music but retains the unrelated animations.
• Best: The course is void of any unrelated elements, using only relevant animations and no background music.

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• Poor: An eLearning module on product features includes unnecessary side stories and excessive images.
• Better: The module eliminates the side stories but retains some excessive images.
• Best: The module sticks strictly to the topic, removing all side stories and using only relevant images.

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• Poor: Adding unrelated images, sounds, or text to "fill space" or "make the course interesting".
• Better: Being mindful of relevance but still including some unnecessary elements.
• Best: Strictly adhering to the coherence principle – every image, word, and sound serves a learning purpose.

Your next steps

Critically assess your eLearning content and remove any extraneous materials. Prioritize relevance and coherence, keeping only what's necessary for understanding the core concepts.

_References:

• _{💡Get the book! Mayer, R. E. (2009). Multimedia learning. Cambridge University Press.}
• _{💡Get the book! Clark, R. C., & Mayer, R. E. (2016). E-Learning and the Science of Instruction: Proven Guidelines for Consumers and Designers of Multimedia Learning. John Wiley & Sons.}