The relative efficiency of bimodal presentation as an aid to learning

Abstract

The common notion learning accrues more efficiently from the use of material presented both visually and aurally as opposed to either visual or aural presentation alone has been investigated in many different ways. However, empirical studies designed to determine directly whether or not simultaneous bimodal presentation of highly redundant information results in better learning than single modality presentation are both scarce and inconsistent in their findings. In a comprehensive review of the various approaches have been taken in studying the problem, Hartman (1961b) indicated the greater number of studies found simultaneous audio/print (aural-visual) presentations of redundant materials to be superior to either audio or print presentations alone. He tends to explain such results in terms of cue summation theory which predicts that learning of discriminations is increased as the number of available cues or stimuli is