What is Limited Capacity Assumption

This is the final of three chapters serving as the introduction to this handbook which addresses the relationship between human cognition and assistive technologies and its design for individuals with cognitive disabilities. In this chapter the authors build upon the last two chapters and focus specifically on research investigating the visual and auditory components of working memory. The authors present the cognitive theory of multimedia learning, a learning theory proposing a set of instructional principles grounded in human information processing research that provide best practices in designing efficient multimedia learning environments. Much like the last chapter, the instructional principles presented are grounded in empirically-based study and consolidate nearly twenty years of research to highlight the best ways in which to increase learning. Altogether, the authors stress the common thread found throughout this three chapter introduction—that technology for learning should be created with an understanding of design principles empirically supported by how the human mind works. They argue that the principles emerging from the cognitive theory of multimedia learning may have potential benefits in the design of assistive technologies for those with learning disabilities.