No difference in extraneous cognitive load between modality conditions in VR, contrary to the modality principle¶
Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causalr2·q3
Currency · newest study 2023 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person
Subclaims¶
Reading the evidence codes
q is the design tier, i the impact, n the sample, and the kind with its r
the rigour judged within that kind: what each code means.
This claim: no standardized effect is recorded in observations/ for it yet, so no benchmark reading is possible.
q3 i? Contrary to the hypothesis that audio-visual presentation lowers extraneous load, the conditions did not differ significantly in ECL. → Patrick Albus 2023
Evidence¶
Patrick Albus 2023¶
Patrick Albus, Tina Seufert. (2023). The modality effect reverses in a virtual reality learning environment and influences cognitive load. Instructional Science. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-022-09611-7
q3 · i? · causal · r2
ANCOVA on extraneous cognitive load in the VR modality experiment, controlling for immersion, which had a significant impact on ECL (ηp² = 0.18). No significant condition difference; equivalence was not tested.
"we found no significant difference between the conditions for ECL (H5: F(1,58) = 0.73, p = .39, ηp2 = 0.012)"
Discussion¶
Learner Variables¶
- Working Memory — outcome: instruction changes it
Related Claims¶
- Visual-only text produces higher germane cognitive load than audio-visual text in VR — related
- No difference in intrinsic cognitive load between visual-only and audio-visual text conditions in VR — related
- Visual-only text yields higher transfer than audio-visual text in immersive VR — related
- In an immersive VR learning environment, visual-only text yields higher recall than audio-visual text (reverse modality effect) — related
- Visual-only text also yields higher comprehension than audio-visual text in immersive VR — related
- Bayesian analyses provide strong evidence that the modality effect reverses in VR for recall, comprehension and germane load — related
- In one meta-analysis, modality-effect studies using virtual reality head-mounted displays show larger effects than studies using computer screens or audio-tapes — related
- Immersion in virtual reality adds extraneous load yet can boost transfer, enjoyment, and motivation while leaving retention unaffected — related
- Immersion principle: people do not necessarily learn better in 3D immersive virtual reality than with a corresponding 2D desktop presentation (d = -0.10 across 9 tests) — related
Page metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
type |
claim |
id |
vr-modality-no-extraneous-load-difference |
title |
No difference in extraneous cognitive load between modality conditions in VR, contrary to the modality principle |
description |
No difference in extraneous cognitive load between modality conditions in VR, contrary to the modality principle |
status |
review |
evidence_strength |
moderate |
newest_evidence |
2023 |
generated |
by process:wiki-ingest on 2026-10-18 |
trust |
unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content |
sources |
1 — patrick-albus-2023 |
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