e-Learning and the Science of Instruction: Proven Guidelines for Consumers and Designers of Multimedia Learning

e-Learning and the Science of Instruction is a must have for anybody that is already a pro, or just starting out at designing web-based instruction. The authors give outstanding guidance for every step of the way, from explaining theories to the best way to set up your web site. It shows excellent illustrations of what to do, as well as what NOT to do. This book is a tool that every one in the business shouldn't be without.

As someone who has been designing multimedia elearning programs since '95, I found this book simply the most useful book on this subject for anyone serious about getting multimedia learning right. The book is full of references to well designed studies published in refereed jounals where the principles discussed were meticulously examined by learning researchers. This is refreshing in a field where most books are anecdotes written by programmers (ala Michael Allen) or website designers. This book actually gives you design principles to follow to increase student learning while debunking many (too)popular theories about good design (such as the usefulness of extra tidbits of information, how to mix pictures and text, when to use audio in an animation, whether a self-playing presentation is better than one where the user clicks through, etc, whether all learners learn best from non-linear presentation, etc.). I'd highly recomend this book to anyone serious about getting educational multimedia design and elearning right.

I have been developing and teaching online courses for several years and have an extensive library that I have collected over that time. I have found this book to be one of the four or five I return to on a regular basis.As a person who serves as a reviewer for other faculty work, I lament that this book is not required reading. In addition to discussing how to correctly use technology it also spends significant time looking at how students learn and how we, as faculty, should adress students in an online environment.

THIS is the book I have been looking for! It seems that most of the other books on e-learning start with instructional design principles and cover basic HTML and multimedia aspects of moving a course to the web. This book covered researched principles on what on the web helps and hurts learning. Although I do recommend learning instructional design as a starting point for all your on-line classes, this book will be invaluable when it comes to deciding how to present the content.

I find this book very helpful for any instructional designer or elearning content developer because it gives sound guidelines based on research about how to improve instructional design for elearning content.It provides many graphic examples and research links.I asked for the book months before it was published and I am not disapointed. You can incorporate these criteria explained in the book in your designs rigth away.I have bought many elearning books, and I find this one very very helpful for my desingsThe only thing its that I find it a little bit repetitive in their findings, but it makes no harm...ciao jc