“How can you teach people in ways so that they can take what they’ve learned and use it in new situations?” This question has been the driving force behind Dr. Richard E. Mayer's work for over 40 years. In this episode of Speaking of Higher Ed, we talk with Dr. Mayer, the world’s most cited educational psychologist, about two of his most significant contributions to education: his involvement in revising Benjamin Bloom's original taxonomy of educational objectives and his lifelong work in multimedia learning.  

First, we explore his role in creating the Revised Bloom's Taxonomy. Dr. Mayer explains why the revised taxonomy is not yet a cumulative hierarchy, challenging the widespread misconception and cautioning us against the use of the pyramid visual. Instead, he explains which of the six categories of the Revised Bloom's Taxonomy we should focus on when designing instruction.  

In the second part of the interview, Dr. Mayer discusses his groundbreaking work in multimedia learning, including his famous Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning. He shares how his research can help us design better instruction. Dr. Mayer also discusses the future of his research. 

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