Personalize is the root word of personalization. To personalize something is "to design or tailor to meet an individual's specifications, needs, or preferences" (Personalize, n.d.). Both of the Personalization Principles outlined by Clark and Mayer do just that. Designers of personalized multimedia products use first-person language in a conversational style and provide coaching tailored to individuals (Clark & Mayer, 2011, p. 179).
Personalization Principle #1
Personalization Principle #1 states that conversational versus formal language should be used in multimedia presentations. This is because "using conversational style in a multimedia presentation conveys to the learners the idea that they should work hard to understand what their conversational partner [...] is saying to them" (Clark & Mayer, 2011, p. 184). To the right, I have posted a screenshot of a dress code presentation (hyperlinked to the actual presentation) I created to quiz parents on Parent Night at the beginning of the year. As this can be a touchy, difficult to understand topic, I thought the second person language would seem less reprimanding or condescending to parents.
|
Personalization Principle #2
Personalization Principle #2 says we can "use effective on-screen coaches to promote learning" (Clark & Mayer, 2011, p. 191). When learners interact with a virtual coach or teacher, they tend to feel as if the instruction is tailored specifically for them. Research on the effectiveness of on-screen coaches is still in the early stages. However, it has been discovered that "on-screen pedagogical agents do not need realistic human-like appearance but do need realistic human-like behavior" (Clark & Mayer, 2011, p. 195). While trying to pay my internet bill recently, I noticed the on-screen agent provided by TimeWarner that was designed to help me learn how to use all of their products and online interfaces. Our course text does say that spoken text is preferred to typed text in regards to on-screen coaching, but the interactive nature of the TWC Virtual Agent chat does qualify the pictured woman as an on-screen agent.
|
Personalization Principle #3
Personalization Principle #3 refers to an author being visible. Clark and Mayer differentiate between invisible and visible authors. Their comparison states that "invisible authors do not tell you anything about themselves, whereas visible authors reveal information about themselves and highlight their personal perspective (Clark & Mayer, 2011, p. 197). In my example, Dr. Kim Huett has exemplified Personalization Principle #3 in her Session O post for MEDT 7468 in Course Den. In cautioning us against being dropped, or other possible penalties, for not checking our UWG email accounts, she gives a personal preference for dealing with the maintenance of multiple email accounts. She is accomplishing an instructional objective while also telling us something pertinent about herself.
|
References
Clark, R. C., & Mayer, R. E. (2011). E-learning and the science of instruction: Proven guidelines for consumers and designers of multimedia learning. San Francisco: Pfeiffer.
Huett, K. (2016). Syllabus, course plan, and communication. Retrieved from https://westga.view.usg.edu/d2l/le/content/1162526/viewContent/19402159/View