RUNNING HEAD: MULTIMEDIA CRITIQUE #1: FLOCABULARY MACBETH RAP

VIDEO

Multimedia Critique #1: Flocabulary Macbeth Rap Video

Samantha Marcott
Coastal Carolina University
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The days of classrooms without technology are gone, as integration

between digital resources and educational materials have become integrated

in the last decade. Most teachers now have smart boards, classroom sets of

computers, and other forms of technology. However, just because certain

digital resources exist, this is not a guarantee that they have been designed

with the learners best interest in mind. To best critique a multimedia

product, its value should be determined based on the following theories of

learning or their components: Segmenting Principle, Pre-Training Principle,

Modality Principle, Dual-Coding Theory, and Cognitive Load. This critique will

focus on the multimedia product Macbeth Rap by Flocabulary, which can

be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyytzE13iV4.
Before delving into all of the learning theories and strategies and the

way this product either does or does not work as an effective form of

educational multimedia tool, the product itself must be described and

analyzed. This Macbeth Rap video was created by Flocabulary, a company

that uses music and rap to teach literary and grammatical lessons on

YouTube. The multimedia product integrates audio in the form of music and

rap, visual images that change and accompany the lyrics, as well as on-

screen captions that portray the rap lyrics. This YouTube video provides a

basic overall summary of what happens in Shakespeares Macbeth.

I have used this video when starting my introduction to the play

because many of my students like this style of music, and the lyrics tell the

story in a comprehensible way. I have found that by showing my students

multimedia products like this before we even start reading the text, they are
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more prepared to understand what is going on during reading. Now that I

have studied some of the theories of learning, it will be beneficial to examine

this multimedia product according to those theories.

First, the Segmenting Principle argues that that learners achieve

deeper understanding when a narrated animation is presented in learner-

paced segments instead of as one continuous unit (Mayer, 2014). Even

though the song covers the entirety of the storyline of the play, I believe that

it is short enough to qualify under the Segmenting Principle. In a little over

five minutes, students have received a succinct summary of the main points

of Macbeth, and with any luck, they may even get the repetitive chorus stuck

in their heads.
Next, the Pre-Training Principle says that students experience deeper

learning with multimedia animation when they already have awareness and

training in the background information and key terms that go along with the

material being presented (Mayer 2014). Unless I were to give my students an

earlier introduction to the material being discussed in the rap, this

multimedia would not satisfy the Pre-Training Principle. Since the song jumps

right into unfamiliar characters and plots, students may have trouble gaining

depth of understanding from just listening to this song. I think there would be

a noticeable difference in how well the students understood the song before

and after studying the Macbeth unit. However, I still think the video/audio

could be effectively incorporated into the beginning of the lesson with the

proper amount of lecture notes and introductory material.

Another learning theory is the Modality Principle, which states that

students learn more deeply with multimedia presentations that include

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graphics and narration, rather than graphics and on-screen text (Mayer

2014). In the case of Macbeth Rap, this multimedia product does not pass

the test. With a combination of narration (singing), images being displayed,

and on-screen lyrics, it may be too much for learners to absorb at one time.

According to the Modality Theory, it would be better if the song lyrics were

not displayed on the video. If students could hear the song and watch the

images on the screen, they may actually retain this information better. Even

though this particular multimedia product may not follow the protocol for the

Modality Principle, I would still not rate it as a bad multimedia product

necessarily.
Similar to the Modality Principle, Cognitive Load refers to the amount of

material and data that can effectively be retained in the various stages of

memory, and particularly long-term memory (Mayer 2014). In order for the

Macbeth Rap to be an efficient educational took, I would need to ensure

that my students already have prior knowledge and understanding of what

will transpire in the multimedia product. Otherwise, this video would present

too much new information, too quickly for the learners to retain. It is never a

good idea to spend quality time in instruction on material that will not be

remembered by the student. Therefore, the proper channels should be

followed in order to end up with the optimal results. Just throwing the

students into this type of video blindly would not accomplish most learning

goals, but if presented at the right time, this video could definitely be helpful

with helping students to remember the basics of Macbeth.

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Finally, Dual Coding Theory refers to the idea that the combination of

verbal and visual learning helps to better master the material being taught.

Because the Macebth Rap includes both words and images, it should be a

great learning tool, according to this theory. Rather than simply having to

listen to or read the words of the song, Flocabulary also includes appropriate

and useful pictures throughout the rap in order to help students understand

what is going on. When concerning Dual Coding Theory, this multimedia

product does a wonderful job of combining verbal text with complementary

images. This combination should help students remember the material better

in the long-term.
Although Flocabularys Macbeth Rap may have its shortcomings

when it comes to a few of the learning concepts studied in this course, it can

still be used as a tool for capturing student attention and at least introducing

the text in preparation for the commencement of the lesson. Though it may

be considered as cognitive overload and attempting to incorporate too many

pieces of attention at once, the catchiness and modern depiction through

contemporary music style can help to create an initial connection between

the student and the play.

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Reference
Mayer, R.E. & Pilegard C. (2014) Principles for managing essential processing

in multimedia learning: segmenting, pre-training, and modality

principles. In R. E. Mayer (Ed.), The Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia

Learning. (pp. 316-344). New York: Cambridge.