Designing lecture presentations using cognitive load theory and visual communication principles

In an effort to expand upon our existing understanding of how we go about designing instructional material, a union of certain principles and effects were proposed from both the disciplines of Graphic Design and Education. Several instructional design phenomenon articulated in the field of Cognitive Load Theory were matched with complementary principles used in visual communication. The marriage of these two sets of knowledge offered a more complete and clear understanding of instructional design decisions, particularly in regards to how they might be practically applied. To observe how readily an instructor might adopt and implement such principles, several university lecturers were invited to attend a workshop that explained and modelled them. While the workshop did have a positive and observable effect on the visual material they produced for their presentations, the impact was disappointingly muted. However, various themes that emerged from the interview data offered explanation for what may have interfered with the willingness and ability of participants to use the principles in question. What might have been regarded as a collection of sensible advice regarding quite superficial visual modifications was apparently overridden by a number of affective barriers and resistance to change within the instructors. Several naïve pedagogical assumptions arose, many given to a strong dependency on content rather than concepts. The reoccurrence of self-efficacy, confidence and ego-defence was also noted, along with some technological and circumstantial interferences. This study sheds light on the issues surrounding staff development regarding instructional design and demonstrates why a ‘How-to-use-PowerPoint’ seminar will not be effective in isolation.