Visual-only text produces higher germane cognitive load than audio-visual text in VR¶
Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causalr2·q3·i3large
Currency · newest study 2023 · checked against its sources 2026-10-20 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · 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 i3 Contrary to the hypothesis, the visual-only condition reported significantly higher germane cognitive load than the audio-visual condition. → 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 · i3 · causal · r2
ANCOVA on germane cognitive load in the VR modality experiment, controlling for immersion and motivation, both of which had significant impacts. The visual-only condition scored higher, ηp² = 0.15.
"we found significantly higher GCL scores for the visual-only condition compared to the audio-visual condition (H6: F(1,57) = 10.02, p = .002, ηp2 = 0.15)"
Discussion¶
Learner Variables¶
- Working Memory — outcome: instruction changes it
Related Claims¶
- No difference in extraneous cognitive load between modality conditions in VR, contrary to the modality principle — related
- No difference in intrinsic cognitive load between visual-only and audio-visual text conditions in VR — related
- Bayesian analyses provide strong evidence that the modality effect reverses in VR for recall, comprehension and germane load — a broader claim this one bears on
- Visual-only text also yields higher comprehension 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 yields higher transfer than audio-visual text in immersive VR — 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
Page metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
type |
claim |
id |
vr-visual-only-higher-germane-load |
title |
Visual-only text produces higher germane cognitive load than audio-visual text in VR |
description |
Visual-only text produces higher germane cognitive load than audio-visual text in VR |
status |
review |
evidence_strength |
moderate |
newest_evidence |
2023 |
source_checked |
2026-10-20 |
generated |
by process:wiki-ingest on 2026-10-18 |
trust |
unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content |
sources |
1 — patrick-albus-2023 |
Frontmatter is the page's machine-readable record — see the Schema & Guide.