Limitations of the Modality Principle

In this post, I discuss the limitations of the Modality Principle in multimedia learning. This principle suggests that people understand and remember information better when words are spoken alongside images/videos rather than being displayed as text. In doing so, though you have to keep in mind some practical considerations.

This video is for educators, instructional designers, e-learning professionals or just plain professionals who, like me, are involved in creating multimedia instructional content. My goal is to help myself and others understand when and how to apply the Modality Principle effectively, considering its limitations.

As I worked on this presentation, I focused on paying attention to the Modality and Redundancy Principles to optimize learning. Mayer and Fiorella (2014) found that adding on screen text to narrated graphics hurt learning. According to Mayer’s theory, people learn better when they hear words that explain graphics instead of reading them. This approach controls our ability to process words through our auditory channels and images through our visual channels, reducing cognitive overload (Mayer, 2009).

But what I discussed in this video were the practical challenges. Sometimes, technical issues like limited bandwidth or missing hardware can make it tough to implement audio effectively. I imagined trying to learn in a noisy, shared space (since that had been an example in the text by Clark & Mayer,2016) – audio might not always be the best choice. Cost is another significant factor I listed. Producing high-quality audio isn’t cheap, and updating those files can be a hassle (I ran into trouble when I tried to make changes doing this video, because of using a different setup). For organizations on tight budgets, sticking to text can be more practical. By providing some on-screen text along with narration, you could keep things flexible and cost-effective, making updates easier and quicker to implement.

Memory support is crucial, especially with complex content- particularly when dealing with technical or lengthy material, having the text right there on the screen helps us remember and understand better. The complex math formula is the easy example (also given in the text) – it’s much easier to grasp if you can see it while hearing it explained. This aligns with the Redundancy Principle, which suggests that having both spoken and written words can sometimes be necessary (Clark & Mayer, 2016).

I wrapped up my presentation by stressing the need to consider the Modality and Redundancy Principles to create effective learning, using narration for explaining graphics or videos and on-screen text for key information and complex content. By understanding and addressing the limitations of the Modality Principle, I am learning how to design more effective and inclusive learning experiences that truly meet the needs of all learners. I do think it takes a decent amount of consideration. Does the video or picture that I want to put here really help the learning? I am not always sure. Is it enough that it reminds them of the topic or a specific thing? This journey of learning shall continue…

On another note, I always use ChatGPT4 to create the featured graphic. I think it is fun and it does a pretty good job of capturing my overall intent most of the time!