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This section title refers to "multi-media" in education, because even combinations of text and image may be considered "multi-media". In academia and education, communication has traditionally been dominated by text. Images (not limited to photos) have mainly been used to supplement text. As Miller (1998) pointed out, the role of visuals in academic writing has typically been used to support or further a verbal argument and allow the audience to ‘see the data’. For example, a research report is peppered with diagrams and charts that underscore the author's main argument. Meanwhile, images and photographs in textbooks have tended to be more decorative in nature. Cognitive psychology and educational theories, and multi-media studies, have explored images and our processing of visual information, as well the relationship between image and text. Mostly these perspectives tend to be 'functional' in nature, and explain how we process visual, auditory, and textual information, or how to best combine these modes of expression to improve learning and reduce distraction (Lee & Owns, 2002). More current research is more applied in nature, and suggests strategies for using digital photography to improve students’ visual communication and self-expression. (Siegal, 2012) What they tend to ignore, is the emotional component of visual images. (McDonagh, Goggin, & Squier, 2004) The emergence of web 2.0 technologies seems to be tipping the balance. Scholars suggest that we are in the midst of revolutionary change. The web 2.0 is highly visual and socially connected and pedagogy must adjust. (Alexander, 2013; Alexander & Levine, 2008; Kress, 2006)
Watch this video "14 Principles of Multi-Media Learning" to see an example of a cognitivist approach to multi-media in education. This video is based on Mayer's (2001) "Multimedia Learning".
Watch this brief video to see a sample video of educators speaking about some of the issues they face with social media in education.
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