The Modality Principle

The Modality Principle : 

The Modality Principle Presented by Heather Hastings and S. Gage Dodson

Modality Principle : 

Modality Principle Using audio narration to describe or explain a graphic instead of text.

Water Cycle : 

Water Cycle Courtesy of Mr. Srgananathan, http://cempaka.edu.my:8866/blog/sargunanathan/ (2009)

How does the Modality Effect occur? : 

How does the Modality Effect occur? Cognitive Load Theory Baddley’s Theory of Working Memory

Cognitive Load Theory : 

Cognitive Load Theory (vanMerrienboer, Ayres, 2005)

Working Memory : 

Working Memory (Gyselinck, Jamet, Dubois, 2008)

Why even bother? : 

Why even bother? The Modality Effect Recall that the modality principle states that over load occurs when the visual-spatial or visual/pictorial channel or subsystem processes both printed words and graphics. When the learner receives an auditory explanation of detailed graphics the information is more successfully processed, organized into schemas and stored in long-term memory. (Moreno ,2006; Clark & Mayer, 2008 )

Cognitive Theory Continued… : 

Cognitive Theory Continued… Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning

Overloading of Visual Channel : 

Overloading of Visual Channel (Clark & Mayer, 2008, p.106)

Water Cycle : 

Water Cycle Courtesy of Mr. Srgananathan, http://cempaka.edu.my:8866/blog/sargunanathan/ (2009) The water cycle begins with the sun evaporating moisture form land, air, and bodies of water to form clouds. When the conditions are right the clouds fall back to Earth in the form of precipitation. The precipitation then flows though the land and back to a body of water and the cycle starts again.

Balance Content of Visual and Auditory Channels : 

Balance Content of Visual and Auditory Channels (Clark & Mayer, 2008, p.107)

Practical Implementation : 

Practical Implementation Graphical Focus Do Not Screen Read

Limitations : 

Limitations Technical Limitations Math Equations Key Vocabulary Multi-Step Directions

Things to keep in mind. . . : 

Things to keep in mind. . . Visual spatial and verbal subsystems can only process 7 +/- 1 items of information at one time. The visual spatial and auditory subsystems are responsible for organizing information for storage in long-term memory. Learning is maximized when using both subsystems versus utilizing just one. The modality effect occurs when the visual spatial subsystem is overloaded by processing graphic and explanatory text of complex or novel information. This effect is exaggerated when materials are offered to the learner at an accelerated rate or involves complex information.

References : 

References Moreno, R. (2006). Does the modality principle hold for different media? A test of the method-affects-learning hypothesis. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 22(3), 149-158. Gyselinck, V., Jamet, E., Dubois, V. (2008). The role of working memory components in multimedia comprehension. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 22(3), 353-374. vanMerrienboer, J., Ayres, P. (2005). Research on cognitive load theory and its design implications for e-learning. Educational Technology Research & Development, 53(3), 5-13. Clark, R.C & Mayer, R.E. (2008) E-learning and the science of instruction. Applying the modality principle: present words as audio narration, rather than on-screen text (2nd ed., pp. 99-113). San Francisco: Pfeiffer.