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Current Research: Richard E. Mayer (educational psychology and cognitive psychology; cognitive science of human learning and problem-solving; multimedia learning; human-computer interaction; mathematical and scientific reasoning; visual learning; learning in virtual reality) Dr. Mayer's research concerns cognition, instruction, and technology, including: (1) multimedia learning, such as determining how illustrations affect how people learn from scientific text, how people learn scientific explanations from computer-based animation and narration, or how people learn to solve problems from computer games, simulations, and virtual reality environments; (2) mathematical problem solving, such as analyzing the process of solving algebra story problems or how people learn to solve statistics problems; and (3) human-computer interaction, such as investigating how novices learn to interact with computers or how to design on-line digital libraries that promote scientific reasoning. Dr. Mayer is concerned with how to present information in ways that help people understand, including how to use words and pictures to explain scientific and mathematical concepts. His research is motivated by the question, "How can we help people learn in ways that allow them to use what they have learned to solve new problems that they have never seen before?" Building on cognitive science theories of how people learn, he has developed a cognitive of theory of multimedia learning relevant to the design of on-line instruction. During the past 10 years he and his colleagues have conducted over 100 experimental tests leading to 10 research-based principles for how to design on-line learning environments. Current research grants from the National Science Foundation and Office of Naval Research include studies of how individual differences in verbal or visual learning styles affect learning from on-line courses, how people learn science in computer-based environments containing on-screen agents who interact with them, how people learn engineering skills from a simulation game that includes an on-screen agent who speaks to them, and how people learn scientific reasoning skills from using an on-line digital library within the context of a geography course. The unifying theme of these projects is to develop research-based principles of instruction that contribute to cognitive science theories of how people learn.
Faculty Home | Current Research | Selected Publications
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