How The Multimedia Learning Theories Affect My Comic
One thing that really stood out to me from the reading was Dual Coding Theory: how we process images and words in two different channels. That feels especially relevant to comics, since they rely so heavily on both. It made me think more intentionally about how the text and visuals work together, and whether they’re actually helping or just crowding each other.
I also found the part about extraneous cognitive load really useful. Comics can get overwhelming fast, especially when there’s a lot of text, busy backgrounds, and multiple characters talking in one panel. It’s made me realize that just because you can fit it all in doesn’t mean you should. The design can look cool, but if it pulls focus away from the point of the scene, it’s probably working against the reader. Some of the principles like signaling and contiguity are small things that make the reading experience smoother, like keeping speech bubbles close to the character or guiding the eye. Segmenting also was helpful such as breaking things down into smaller steps or moments so it’s not all hitting the reader at once.
Another part of the reading that stood out was modality. The idea that it’s sometimes better to say something alongside visuals instead of adding more written text. For comics, that might mean relying more on visual storytelling or inner voice, instead of always spelling everything out.
Overall, the reading helped me think about clarity more, not just in terms of visuals, but in how everything fits together.
I also found the part about extraneous cognitive load really useful. Comics can get overwhelming fast, especially when there’s a lot of text, busy backgrounds, and multiple characters talking in one panel. It’s made me realize that just because you can fit it all in doesn’t mean you should. The design can look cool, but if it pulls focus away from the point of the scene, it’s probably working against the reader. Some of the principles like signaling and contiguity are small things that make the reading experience smoother, like keeping speech bubbles close to the character or guiding the eye. Segmenting also was helpful such as breaking things down into smaller steps or moments so it’s not all hitting the reader at once.
Another part of the reading that stood out was modality. The idea that it’s sometimes better to say something alongside visuals instead of adding more written text. For comics, that might mean relying more on visual storytelling or inner voice, instead of always spelling everything out.
Overall, the reading helped me think about clarity more, not just in terms of visuals, but in how everything fits together.