Spatial Contiguity Principle

Overview

Students learn better when corresponding words and pictures are presented near each other than far from each other on the page or screen(Mayer et al. 1989).

As one of Mayer's 12 Principles of Multimedia Learning, the Spatial Contiguity Principle refers to a close together distance in the actual space between relevant text and visuals on the screen. When the corresponding words and pictures are far from each other, we define it as separated presentation. Spatial contiguity is created when we use an integrated presentation in which each illustration is placed next to the text that describes it, and words have been inserted into the illustration. By this, Learners have cues for combining corresponding words and images that save their working memory during cognitive processing.