MIXING AUDIO, VIDEO AND TEXT increases learning. This article demonstrates different types of modalities and the kinds of effects they have on learners, with examples of each.

Cognitive research shows that information presented in multiple or mixed modalities (e.g., visual and auditory) contribute to better learning outcomes. They can actually improve the learning process above and beyond what textbooks and lecture notes can do.

Cambell et al. (2000) found that the way information is presented to a student makes a significant difference in how quickly the student can learn and retain material. The more quickly students can integrate separate pieces of information into a cohesive whole, the more quickly he or she begins to make sense of and derive understanding from it.

Imagine yourself learning a foreign language like French. Let's say that you have only a text book without illustrations. Do you think you can learn adequately? Can you pronounce correctly just by relying on the phonetic characters? Most likely not!

If you have multimedia to assist you, however, it is easier to learn to pronounce a French word.

Anourack "Lance" Soukhaseum
Graduate Student