I’m so glad you enjoyed the videos. Rob sure is talented!

Fantastic! I can’t wait to see what you do. 🙂

Best,
Rob Kelly

Thank you Renee. I appreciate the feedback. 🙂

Best,
Rob Kelly

Hi there Peter,

Thanks so much for the feedback. 🙂 While I wouldn’t recommend that students watch a typography video for an extended period of time, or encourage the idea that a typography video be used to teach the theory behind complex subject matter, it would be hard to argue that a short and synoptic multimedia presentation (such as the one above which was designed to inspire and entertain) poses any real threat to a student’s cognitive processing.

Research conducted by I. Arslan-Ari and printed in Learning from instructional animations: How does prior knowledge mediate the effect of visual cues? Journal of Computer Assisted Learning says, “The modality principle states that low‐experience learners more successfully understand information that uses narration rather than on‐screen text. This is due to the idea that on‐screen text may produce a cognitive overload if it is accompanied by other visual elements.”

While this has sound validity, it does not apply to the blogging video above. The video presentation doesn’t use “…other visual elements” beyond on-screen text. What this typography video does do is use both audio (narration) and on-screen text (which actually creates a stronger argument in favour of the ‘redundancy principle’ than the ‘modality principle’). But that’s for another time. 😉

Of course, the counter argument to the ‘modality principle’ is that low-experience learners (who don’t fit into the traditional instructional based teaching and learning model) could benefit the most from being exposed to more stimulating, cognitive material; than not being exposed to it at all. Learning styles and cognitive processing are subjective to THE individual.

In short, we must remember that in the real world – and cyberspace too – children and adults alike are exposed to considerable amounts of cognitive pressure. From info-ads to online video games, it’s everywhere. Like most things, it’s about the parameters, conditions and environments that these sorts of multimedia presentations exist in. As educators, we should not hide away from it, but instead look at how we can prepare our low and high experience learners for the world that awaits them beyond the school gates.

Best,
Rob Kelly

Have fun!