• To spark interest and motivation: can illustrate relevancy, which is important to initiate before training (Clark, p. 60).
• As a technique to integrate into LTM: dual encoding when using visual & audio resources (Clark, p. 61)
• To direct attention to an important element: certain content benefits from the use of images of specific elements that need to be called out; especially in relation to computers, as screenshots can use arrows, cropping, transparency, and color to emphasize certain areas.
• To manage mental load: Mindmapping is an activity that can support many areas of the learning process. A mindmap can serve as a handy graphic to refer to, and be a substitute for a mental model (a "schema substitute, Clrk, p. 54), allowing room for other information until that model is encoded at the expert level.
• To bring relevant prior knowledge into working memory: a series of flashcards based on images, for example, can be a quick and efficient way to active a learner's prior knowledge when introducing a subject or re-entering the subject after a long absence.

Considerations:

• More concepts will benefit from media when the learner is a novice (experts need little-to-no media as they they have the ability to easily make mental images from text).

• Media is usually a form of direct, receptive learner-text instruction. Thus, it is especially useful in providing background knowledge - a "crystallized ability." (Clark, p. 13). Presentation of media should be followed by a discovery or inquiry based activity to aid in encoding.

• Media does not have to be receptive. With web 2.0, animations & videos can be interactive - either at the directive/behavioral level, or the guided discovery level with case studies. Even an exploratory media presentation could be created (I imagine a Flash website that, upon mousing over an image, it morphs into a flash card presentation or video playing right there on the screen).

• Media can allow learner control over pacing/sequencing, or be presented with media control over pacing, as in a video that has no chapters or ability to pause/previous/next.