The Effect of Multi-Media Instructional Design based on Sweller s Theory on Reducing Cognitive Load and Developing Scientific Concepts among Deaf Primary Students

This study aimed to investigate the effect of instructional design of multi-media on reducing cognitive load and the development of scientific concepts among primary school deaf students. It combined the descriptive and quasi-experimental design using an extension of pre-test and post-test experimental-control group design with three groups: an experimental group that was taught the solar system, stars and galaxies modules using multimedia software based on the principles of cognitive load theory; a second experimental group was taught the same content using multimedia software but was not based on the principles of cognitive load theory; and a control group that was taught via the textbook. The study sample consisting of 48 male and female deaf students was selected from Al-Amal Institutes at Jeddah, Madinah, and Tabuk. The study used two instruments: scientific concepts test and NASA-TLX scale of cogni-tive load. The results revealed that the first experimental group outperformed the second and control group students on both measures. However, there was no significant difference be-tween the second experimental and control groups. It is recommended that Sweller’s theory and multimedia be used to design curriculum of science to deaf students.