Multimedia and digital media in physics instruction

Research on media-based learning has led to many new insights and applications in the last decades. However, the technological developments in digital media are diverse and dynamic. For effective education training and instruction, it is important to know theoretical foundations and how they can be applied in instruction. For these reasons, this chapter focuses on theoretical models and guidelines that are valid in the long-term for the learning of physics with digital media. These include insights into multiple modalities, multiple representations and interactivity. Aspects of learning theories are used as a basis for considering concepts and concrete examples of the use of digital media and multimedia in physics instruction. We discuss theories of anchoring of knowledge and situated learning, mental models, supplantation theory and coherence formation, multiple representations, cognitive flexibility, knowledge structuring, the use of simulations, guided discovery learning and learning physics with online resources and tools.