Using the multi-display teaching system to lower cognitive load

Multimedia plays a vital role in both learning systems and the actual education process. However, currently used presentation software is often not optimized and generates a great deal of clutter on the screen. Furthermore, there is often insufficient space on a single display, leading to the division of content. These limitations generally increase cognitive load. In this research, a multi-display teaching system was developed, based on the design principles proposed by cognitive load theory (e.g., Sweller, Van Merriënboer, & Paas, 1998) and the cognitive theory of multimedia learning (e.g., Mayer, 2005), to address the need for simultaneous, focused display of multimedia content. The multi-display teaching system was deployed on multiple projectors in real educational environments in order to prove that it is effective in improving learning efficiency. An experiment was carried out with 120 college students as participants. Results showed that multi-display instructional material significantly reduced cognitive load and enhanced learning effectiveness.