Modality principle: graphics with spoken text beat graphics with printed text for transfer¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · review r2 · q3 · i3 large
Currency · newest study 2008 · checked against its sources 2026-10-20 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i3 In 17 of 17 experiments, learners scored higher on transfer tests when words were presented in spoken form rather than printed form, median d = 1.02. → Richard E. Mayer 2008

Evidence¶

Richard E. Mayer 2008¶

Richard E. Mayer. (2008). Applying the Science of Learning: Evidence-Based Principles for the Design of Multimedia Instruction. American Psychologist. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066x.63.8.760

q3 · i3 · review · r2

Controlled experiments across six computer-based lesson domains comparing spoken versus printed text with graphics; the article reports the quoted 17-of-17 result and that "The median effect size was 1.02," noting the modality principle has the most support of any principle investigated.

"In 17 of 17 experiments, involving computer-based multimedia lessons on lightning, brakes, an aircraft fuel system, environmental science, biology, and electric motors, learners scored higher on transfer tests when the words were presented in spoken form rather than printed form"

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Presenting words as spoken narration rather than on-screen text alongside graphics improves learning — a broader claim this one bears on
• On-screen text that duplicates the narration of a diagram can hurt learning, but spoken–written redundancy is not harmful on average and helps over spoken-only presentation in some conditions — related
• In one middle-school quasi-experiment, adding written text to spoken narration makes no significant difference to achievement with either abstract or concrete animation — reports the opposite
• In one middle-school quasi-experiment on electricity, spoken-text groups outperform written-text groups with both abstract and concrete animation (d = .35) — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Spoken text modality does not significantly differ from signaled written text modality, or from signaled written plus spoken text, for either abstract or concrete animation — related
• Contiguity principles: near placement and simultaneous presentation of corresponding words and pictures improve transfer — related
• Redundancy principle: animation plus narration beats animation, narration, and on-screen text for transfer — related
• The signaling effect holds only for abstract animation representations: signaling significantly improved achievement over written text with abstract animation but not with concrete animation — related