JOURNAL CRITIQUE: COGNITIVE THEORY OF MULTIMEDIA 1
Journal Critique: Cognitive Theory of Multimedia
LaTonya F. Alexander
School of Education, Liberty University
JOURNAL CRITIQUE: COGNITIVE THEORY OF MULTIMEDIA 2
Journal Critique: Cognitive Theory of Multimedia
Integrating technology into school curriculum has proven to contribute to academic
achievement when following the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia principles (Almasseri &
AlHojailan, 2019). More specifically, learning from educational videos designed according to the
three principles of Cognitive Theory of Multimedia, signaling, redundancy, and pre-training,
contributes to learners’ academic growth (Almasseri & AlHojailan, 2019). Also, there is a
benefit to the learner when it comes to learning outcomes when educational material is presented
concurrently in diverse ways using multimedia instead of presenting the material gradually
through one method such as text only (Torgersen & Boe, 2021). Research also proves that the
potential for academic achievement is higher when the use of multimedia mobile applications is
integrated into the curriculum regardless of the curriculum being regular education or special
education curriculum (Derbissalova et al., 2024).
Overview
The four studies discussed in this paper revolve around cognitive processing of
information presented in an educational setting using multimedia versus cognitive processing of
information presented in an educational setting without using multimedia. Almasseri and
AlHojailan (2019) created a study based on the effects of using a flipped classroom method,
tutorial videos, in an eighth-grade computer science class on academic achievement versus
students in the same computer science class not using the flipped classroom method. Torgersen
and Boe (2021) conducted an experiment to assess the possible differences in the learning
outcomes (LO) of students’ short-term memory (STM) capacity with material presented using
multimedia versus LO of students’ STM capacity with material presented in text form that had to
be read. Derbissalova et al. (2024) did research to update prior research on the effects of
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integrating multimedia by using mobile applications into special education curriculum. Aravind
and Rajasekaran (2021) investigated the impact that Cognitive Theory of Multimedia learning
has on learning outcomes for students with a speech impediment diagnosed as dysphasia.
Research Questions
The Almasseri and AlHojailan (2019) research study had one main question and six sub
questions. The questions are listed below.
1. “What is the effect of the FCA on students' academic achievements according to Bloom's
taxonomy that develops knowledge objectives?
a. What is the effect of the FCA on students' academic achievements at the level of
remembering?
b. What is the effect of the FCA on students' academic achievements at the level of
understanding?
c. What is the effect of the FCA on students' academic achievements at the level of
applying?
d. What is the effect of the FCA on students' academic achievements at the level of
analysis?
e. What is the effect of the FCA on students' academic achievements at the level of
evaluation?
f. What is the effect of the FCA on both students with HPK and LPK in the
experimental group regarding their pre‐test and post‐test academic achievements
level?” (Almasseri & AlHojailan, 2019, p. 771).
Derbissalova et al. (2024) does not have any specific research questions nor is the
question implied. This research study is an update to previous research (Derbissalova et al.,
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2024). Torgersen and Boe (2021) constructed objectives that guided their study. The objectives
are listed below.
1. “The difference in LO between multimedia and text by three types of instruments in
multimedia (comments, successive presentation, and multi-presentation).
2. Individual differences in the STM capacity and LO from multimedia with the three
instruments.
3. The relationship between the capacity of various STM types (substructures) and the LO
from multimedia with the three instruments.
4. Individual differences in channel capacity and LO from multimedia with the three
instruments.
5. The relationship between CLS and LO based on the results of objectives 1–4,”
(Torgersen & Boe, 2021, p. 5).
Aravind and Rajasekaran (2021) conducted a research study that had research questions
based on objectives. The research objectives are listed below.
1. “To determine whether News in Levels lesson improves vocabulary development of the
learning disability in dysphasia students.
2. To know whether the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning positively contributes to
dysphasia students’ vocabulary mastery.
3. To describe the learning situation when the multimedia learning approach is applied
during the teaching process for learning disability students,” (Aravind & Rajasekaran,
2021, p, 266).
The research questions based on the objectives are listed below.
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1. “To what extent does teaching vocabulary through News in Levels lesson result in higher
acquisition for learning disability students?
2. How do learners who received News in Levels lesson teaching perform on vocabulary
acquisition?
3. Are dysphasia students satisfied with the use of the multimedia instructional learning
approach for vocabulary learning?
4. Will the method of instruction on vocabulary increase the learning atmosphere and
engagement for learning disability students?” (Aravind & Rajasekaran, 2021, p, 266).
Research Designs
Almasseri and AlHojailan (2019) used a quasi-experimental design to study FCA with
video lessons, face-to-face instruction, a pre-test, and a post-test during the second semester of
the school year in a computer science class in Saudi Arabia. Torgersen and Boe (2021) gave the
sample population a STM capacity test, divided the participants into the control group and the
experiment group based on the results of the STM capacity test, gave a survey to each group,
presented the lesson to the multimedia group using multimedia, presented the lesson to the
control group in a text format that had to be read, and gave a knowledge test to both groups after
presenting the information. Derbissalova et al. (2024) used a focus group of randomly selected 9-
10 years old students with intellectual disabilities for their study. The researchers analyzed test
results of verbal comprehension, working memory, and perceptual reasoning to understand if
integrating multimedia by using mobile applications into the special education curriculum work
can contribute to increases in the academic achievement of students with intellectual disabilities.
Aravind and Rajasekaran (2021) investigated using an experimental design. The design used a
JOURNAL CRITIQUE: COGNITIVE THEORY OF MULTIMEDIA 6
pretest, post-test, retention assessment, and a vocabulary questionnaire to collect the data for
analysis.
Research Participants
The quasi-experimental design had a sample size of 67 male students. The sample group
was separated into two groups, 33 students of whom were in the experimental group exposed to
the flipped classroom and the other 34 students of whom were in the control group in a regular
classroom environment (Almasseri & AlHojailan, 2019). The study had one limitation. The
limitation was that all 67 students participating in the study were male students who had to get
their parents’ consent (Almasseri & AlHojailan, 2019).
Aravind and Rajasekaran (2021) used a sample group of 24 6th graders diagnosed with
dysphasia in a special education school. The 24 6th graders were randomly separated into two
groups. One group, the control group, was taught a limited number of vocabulary words using
flashcards and other non-technology related teaching aids (Aravind & Rajasekaran, 2021). The
other group, the experimental group, was taught a limited amount of vocabulary using
multimedia such as video and audio lessons. Both groups were given 10 lessons with the same
amount of instructional time with the post-test being given immediately after completion of the
10th lesson. The retention test was given one month after the post-test.
Derbissalova et al, (2024) used 9–10-year-old students of three different grade levels
from two different schools with four special education classes. The total number of students that
were available from the classes was 60. A randomized selection process was used and 21 of the
students were selected to participate. The other 39 students continued with the special education
curriculum being taught without the addition of the multimedia mobile applications.
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Torgersen and Boe (2021) surveyed 378 undergraduate students, 185 males and 193
females. The three groups comprised of military officers from the Norwegian Military Academy
and the Norwegian Command and Staff College, student teachers, and engineering and
psychology students from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (Torgersen &
Boe, 2021). The sample group was in higher education which leads to possibly one study
limitation. The limitation is the impact of the educational environment because the environment
was not as controlled as it should have been if the experiment was conducted in a more
controlled environment such as a laboratory (Torgersen & Boe, 2021). Because of the limitation,
the results are possibly lower than they would have been if the experiment was conducted in a
more controlled environment such as a laboratory (Torgersen & Boe, 2021).
Research Settings
The setting for the Almasseri and AlHojailan (2019) study was an 8th-grade computer
science classroom and the homes of the experimental group in Saudi Arabia. The Torgersen and
Boe (2021) experiment were conducted in regular classrooms or the lecture halls at the
Norwegian Military Academy, the Norwegian Command and Staff College, and the Norwegian
University of Science and Technology. Derbissalova et al. (2024) investigated using 9-year-olds
and 10-year-olds from two special education schools in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Aravind and
Rajasekaran (2021) conducted their experiment with students enrolled in a special education
school in Chennai, Tamilnadu.
Research Procedure
A pre-test was given to both groups at the beginning. At the end, a 30-question Microsoft
Excel assessment base on the class book and teacher guide, validated by five university computer
science professors and master teachers in Saudi Arabi was given to the sample group from the
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Almasseri and AlHojailan (2019) study. The flipped classroom used a video tutorial that was
designed according to the three principles of Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning (CTML):
the signaling, redundancy, and the pre-training principles (Almasseri & AlHojailan, 2019). Some
of the sample males had high prior knowledge and others had low prior knowledge. The results
were grouped according to the revised Bloom’s Taxonomy levels.
The head teacher at each school reviewed the requirements for the experiment along with
the timeline and selected participants for the Torgersen and Boe (2021) study. The classes
selected to participate took a short-term memory capacity test in their own classroom
environments. With the results of the first STM capacity test, the participants were separated into
two groups, participants who had been exposed to multimedia educational presentations and
participants who learned through reading the educational material (Torgersen & Boe, 2021). The
experiment was conducted, and the groups completed a survey and posttest. According to
Torgersen and Boe (2021), the key to this experiment was to ensure there was no prior
knowledge of the information being presented in text form or through slides and video.
Aravind and Rajasekaran (2021) had permission from the heads of the two schools to
conduct their experiment. The 24 sixth graders were randomly selected and separated into two
groups. Both groups were given a pretest, ten lessons with the same amount of instructional time,
a post-test, a retention test, and a questionnaire. The post-test was given to both groups
immediately after completion of the 10th lesson with the retention test given one month later.
Derbissalova et al. (2024) updated their research by conducting an experiment with participants
that downloaded the educational material on their mobile devices or home computers, so they
used the classroom and students’ residences. The experimental group was also taught using
PowerPoint slides in the classroom.
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Research Results
The results of the FCA study were categorized according to the revised Bloom’s
Taxonomy (Almasseri & AlHojailan, 2019). The FCA results were unexpected. The researchers
found that the FCA had no effect on academic achievement at the lower levels of Bloom’s
Taxonomy which are remembering and understanding but did influence academic achievement
at the higher levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy which are applying, analyzing, and evaluating
(Almasseri & AlHojailan, 2019). The result of the Torgersen and Boe (2021) study was that
straight presentation of learning material in the forms of voice, images, and text provide for
better learning outcomes than learning by reading text for students regardless of their STM
capacity. Derbissalova et al. (2024) found that the integration of multimedia into special
education curriculum was a successful strategy which was the same as the results for Aravind
and Rajasekaran (2021).
Conclusion
In conclusion, the studies prove that more information is retained in cognitive processing
when multimedia is integrated into curriculum increasing academic achievement (Almasseri &
AlHojailan, 2019; Aravind & Rajasekaran, 2021; Derbissalova et al., 2024; Torgersen & Boe,
2021). The results of the four studies are the same regardless of the setting and sample group.
Each study used the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia learning as the theoretical foundation for
proving academic achievement when using multimedia. All four studies used randomized
selection criteria to pick the experiment group. The studies also used pre- and post-tests to collect
data.
The FCA study proves that students learn the same regardless of the educational
environment whether online or face-to-face. The FCA study should be redone with a mixed
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group of girls and boys, and with an all-girl group. The all boy, all girl, and mixed sex group data
should be compared to see if the results would be the same. Because most of the sample group of
the multimedia effects on learning outcomes experiment were military, it is a possibility that the
uncontrolled environment may not have impacted the results as much as the researchers think.
Military environments are more controlled academic environments than regular undergraduate
classroom environments. Students in a military educational environment are not as likely to cheat
on tests as regular students because of the consequences of being caught and going against the
military honor code. This study should be conducted with students in elementary school like the
other research experiments. The two studies that used children with disabilities should be
conducted on English Language learner to test if using multimedia will help those students learn
English faster.
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References
Almasseri, M., & AlHojailan, M. I. (2019). How flipped learning based on the cognitive theory
of multimedia learning affects students' academic achievements. Journal of Computer
Assisted Learning, 35(6), 769-781. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.12386
Aravind, B. R., & Rajasekaran, V. (2021). Exploring dysphasia learners’ vocabulary acquisition
through the cognitive theory of multimedia learning: An experimental study.
International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (Online), 16(12), 263-275.
https://doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v16i12.22173
Derbissalova, G., Shayakhmetova, A., Avagimyan, A., & Pyanova, E. (2024). Multimedia
applications in special education: New opportunities for the development of cognitive
processes of children with intellectual disabilities. Multimedia Tools and Applications.,
83(16), 49707–49721. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11042-023-17512-1
Torgersen, E., & Boe, O. (2021). Which tools in multimedia are best for learning outcomes? A
study grounded in cognitive load structures. Frontiers in Psychology, 12.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.545335
