Podagogy

A brief review of a research article
Sundar, S. S. (2000). Multimedia effects on processing and perception of online news: A study of picture, audio, and video downloads. Journal of mass communication quarterly, 77(3), 480-498.

Summary
This research study examined the effects of multimedia on memory, specifically the ability of users to remember what they have read on a news oriented web site. The study drew from previous research on multimedia and cognitive processing, brain research, as well as communication and psychology research.

Current research indicates modality matters, as the brain is structured to process specific modalities in certain ways. Thus modality and processing differences influence how much perceived content is remembered. In a given context, content delivered via certain modalities will more likely be retained in long-term memory than others. The author of this study investigated two aspects of the impact of types of modality (text only, text + picture, text + audio, text + picture + audio, text + picture + audio + video). The first aspect investigated was the relationship of the type of modality used on a web site and users’ ability to remember news and ad content on the site. The other aspect was the impact of the type of modality used on a web site and their level of positive perception about the site.

According to the author, there is significant amount of contradiction among research studies investigating whether multimedia helps or hinders memory or learning. The “redundancy” concept examined by some research suggests multiple types of modalities increase the likelihood of learning, while other “redundancy” theory research suggests multiple modalities hinders learning. Other cognitive theories such as dual-coding theory and cue-summation theory suggest information received by multiple types of modalities improves our ability to store the information. Limited-capacity information processing theory, and the multiple-resource theory suggest using multiple modalities is more likely to overload the brain’s processing capability, severely reducing the likelihood users will remember the information. Other related theories in this genre are the split-attention theory, and the cognitive-overload theory.

The approach taken by this study provides a new perspective compared to much of the previous research. Earlier research studies focused on the simultaneous presentation of multiple modalities (e.g. audio and video), and was concerned with the competition between one modality and the other. The earlier studies also tended to use older media which provides users with less control (e.g. television and radio). This study was conducted using 60 volunteers, undergraduate communication students, randomly assigned to one of five groups. The participants in each group were assigned to view one of five different web sites in a time controlled environment. The five web sites were constructed specifically for this experiment, and were designed to reduce confounding effects of design and usability. Each of the five web sites contained the same three news stories presented in either text only, or one of the four other combinations of modalities in downloadable format. Upon completing the time limited viewing of web site, each participant filled out a paper-and-pencil questionnaire.

The results of the experiment suggest a fascinating contradiction in the effects of multiple modalities. Results indicated users remembered the content of the news stories best in the text-only modality. Results also indicate the more types of modality presented in a single site, users tend to perceive the web site as less coherent. While multiple types of modalities had a negative impact on users’ memory of the news story, they had a positive impact on the users’ ability to recall ad messages.

The main conclusion of the study was multimedia matters, and the modality needs to be carefully selected and implemented to facilitate memory or learning.

Commentary
I selected this article because of my interest in educational podcasting. Aside from the troublesome contradictory message this study sends to electronic news publishers (inclusion of audio and video helps your advertisers, but doesn’t help people remember your stories), there were things I found helpful, and things that were not so helpful.

Helpful things
I found the literature review somewhat helpful in that it identified a few areas of consistency in the research even if there are many contradictory findings otherwise. First, the “modality matters” message is important. Much more research needs to be conducted to identify which types of content, received in which contexts, are best for what learning objectives. This is also important to me as a course designer. Great care must be taken in identifying and implementing a particular type of modality for a given learning outcome, and the study seems to suggest that simplicity aids learning and retention. Second, this article identified several other lines of research that may shed light on effective teaching and learning, and the use of education media.

Not-so-helpful things
The fact this study was conducted in 2000 makes me somewhat cautious regarding its findings. There are several reasons why this study must be taken in it’s time context: 1) Five years is a long time on the Internet. In the last five years incredible progress has been made in the creation, delivery, and quality of audio and visual media delivered online; 2) That users in this study were required to download audio and video clips, rather than receiving streaming audio or video raises additional concerns. The need to download the media clips before listening or viewing would probably be perceived as inconvenient, reducing their usefulness. Also, the manual download stands in contrast to current streaming and RSS technologies.

In spite of the tremendous gains in our ability to deliver multiple types of modalities via the Internet, it does not appear that a solid pedagogy for multimedia has been firmly established. This article has helped raise valid questions regarding effective applications of podcasting, vodcasting, screencasting, as well as animation and other technologies. Unfortunately, given the contradictory research outcomes in this field, it may take some time to develop a clear understanding of how one uses these technologies effectively.

Reviewer
Randy Meredith