Sharing and helping post

When I realized that the assignment was a comic It peaked my interest because I have read several comics in my life time from marvel comics to manga to educational comics. The best comics I have read educationally have applied the coherence principle very well. I see it as when telling a long story to a friend and as your rambling on, you see them yawn and they tell you to get to the point. I think this is a perfect metaphor for the coherence principle as it is not just only applicable in comics but in all areas of life.

When writing a comic I feel like it can be easy to get lost in many visuals or adding in as many jokes as possible but having a straight path to give the user enjoyment and simplicity. A 2006 study by Richard E. Mayer and Roxana Moreno, learners who were exposed to educational material aligned with the Coherence Principle performed significantly better in retention tests than those who received ‘embellished’ learning materials. This study demonstrates not only will the user enjoying it more put most importantly will retain the information. This is also connects to the redundancy principle where again the point of keeping it simple comes into play trying to find that balance.

My question is what is the correct balance between simplicity and excitement?

Richard E. Mayer and Roxana Moreno, “Nine Ways to Reduce Cognitive Load in Multimedia Learning,” Educational Psychologist 38, no.1 (2003): 43-52.