CDLA · Module 2 — Learning science for digital media
Segmenting, pre-training, modality, scaffolding fade, and expertise reversal — manage essential processing without flooding experts.
About 22 min
Practice in the lesson player
Sorting, matching, quizzes, and the module gate stay behind a free account so scored answers are not public. The teaching notes below are the same cited curriculum.
01
Mayer groups segmenting (d = 0.70), pre-training (d = 0.46), and modality (d = 0.72) as ways to manage essential processing — mentally representing the core material.
1 · Segment: Break the lesson into learner-paced parts. A six-step procedure is six continue-gated screens, not one 90-second unstoppable animation.
2 · Pre-train: Name the key terms and parts before the process. If the learner does not know “escrow” and “hold,” the scenario burns load on vocabulary.
3 · Modality: For a complex graphic, spoken words often beat printed words because eyes can stay on the picture. Boundary: this is not a reason to skip captions or readable UI text.
02
Novices: Worked examples and strong guidance help — lower intrinsic load. · Fade scaffolds across attempts: full example → completion problem → open problem. · Pre-train names before the full process.
Experts / high prior knowledge: The same worked example can hurt — expertise reversal. · Let them start with a problem; offer optional hints, not a forced lecture. · Skip redundant pre-training they already own.
03
Write the fade into the storyboard: attempt 1 shows a worked path; attempt 2 hides half the steps; attempt 3 is unaided with consequence feedback. If every screen stays fully guided forever, experts will skim — and novices will never practice retrieval. Segmenting and pre-training still apply; expertise reversal decides how much help stays on screen.