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Investigating the Modality and Redundancy Effects for Learners with Persistent Pain

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Abstract

Two experiments were conducted to investigate how individuals with persistent pain would respond to instructional materials designed to promote the modality and redundancy effects. It was predicted that persistent pain would reduce the positive impact of narrated text due to reduced working memory capacity. One hundred thirty-seven full-time teachers from six schools in Australia participated in the study. Pain and pain-free participants were identified and matched through a demographics questionnaire before being randomly assigned to selected instructional formats. In both experiments, participants viewed system-paced multimedia presentations depicting how lightning works. In Experiment 1, it was found that for pain-free participants, illustrations plus narrated text led to significantly higher learning outcomes than illustrations plus written text (a modality effect). However, for pain participants, no advantage was found for the illustrations plus narrated text format. In Experiment 2, it was found that for pain-free participants, illustrations plus narrated text led to significantly higher learning outcomes than illustrations plus narrated text plus identical written text (a redundancy effect). For pain participants, a reverse effect was found, suggesting that the replicated written text format was not redundant but beneficial for these individuals. Furthermore, despite low scores on standardized pain measures, individuals with persistent pain achieved significantly lower learning outcomes than pain-free participants in both experiments. It was concluded that clinically low levels of pain could significantly interfere with information retention and transference. For individuals with persistent pain, the use of narrated explanatory text could be a disadvantage due to its transitory nature.

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  1. School of Education, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

    Alexander Smith & Paul Ayres

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Appendix

Appendix

Sample Responses to the Tests Provided in the Response Booklet to Participants

Retention Test

Responses could include the following: cool air moves; cool air becomes warmer; air rises; water vapour condenses to form a cloud; the cloud moves beyond the freezing level; crystals form; water and crystals fall; updrafts and downdrafts are produced; wind gusts are felt before the onset of rain; electrical charges build; negatively charged particles fall to the bottom of the cloud (or positive charges go to the top); a negative step leader travels down; leaders meet; negatively charged particles rush down; positively charged particles rush up; production of a bright light as a flash of lightning.

Transfer Test

For task 1, correct answers could suggest that the air temperature needs to be cooler than the ground; that there needs to be a difference in temperature between the top and the bottom of the cloud; or that the top of the cloud needs to be above the freezing level.

For task 2, solutions could highlight that the cloud or part thereof might not be above the freezing level; that there may not be enough air moisture; or there may not be enough negatively charged particles in the cloud.

For task 3, answers may have included the removal of positive ions from the ground; adding positive ions to the bottom of the cloud; heating the clouds to prevent freezing and the formation of ice crystals.

For task 4, answers acknowledging a difference in electrical charges in the cloud; a difference in temperature within the cloud; or a difference in charge between the positive charge on the ground and the negative charge in the cloud were acceptable.

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Smith, A., Ayres, P. Investigating the Modality and Redundancy Effects for Learners with Persistent Pain. Educ Psychol Rev 28, 401–424 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-014-9293-z

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