This document summarizes a study on the modality principle's impact on test performance and perceived cognitive load among undergraduate students enrolled in an information systems course in Brazil. The study compared an audio group (AG) that received course content via audio to a text group (TG) that received the same content in text format. It was hypothesized that the AG would outperform the TG on retention and transfer tests and spend less time, but the results found no significant differences between groups. A significant difference was found between accounting and business administration students' performance, but not time spent. The researchers concluded the modality principle was not supported and that instructional designers should provide multiple delivery options to accommodate different learners.

1. Modality principle: implications for
Accounting and Business Administration
undergraduate courses
José DUTRA de Oliveira Neto -University of São Paulo – Brazil
Ildeberto Aparecido Rodello
Marcelo Ferreira Silva
Session Title: TLC Potpourri
Concurrent Sessions, Hyatt and Marriott
Presentation Date/Time: Wednesday August 9, 2017 - 4:00 pm-5:30 pm
San Diego - 2017

2. Introduction
 Implementing online or blended courses using online technology may require
additional strategies to improve learning.
 The benefits obtained with the use of technology depend upon how it is applied
(tools, methods and strategies) in order to be compatible with the human
cognitive learning. It is a mistake to believe that only technological support can
guarantee an improvement in the learning process (Almeida, 2003; Clark & Mayer,
2008; Clark & Mayer, 2016; Clark, Nguyen & Sweller, 2011).
 Previous studies have suggested that the modality principle in online courses
improves the learning results by reducing the student’s cognitive load. Mixed
results from literature review.
 Objective: Study the modality principle’s impact on test performance and
perceived cognitive load among students enrolled in a Brazilian
undergraduate on information system course.
 Students were from two bachelors programs: Accounting and Business
Administration offered in blended mode.
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3. Theoretical Background
 Cognitive Load Theory - suggests that effective instructional material
facilitates learning by linking cognitive resources to relevant activities in
the learning process (Chandler & Sweller, 1991).
 Cognitive Theory for Multimedia Learning - emphasizes the rules for
effective learning, establishing multimedia design principles applied in
order to stimulate cognitive processing and promote an effective learning
(Clark, 2002; Clark & Mayer, 2016; Gerjets, Scheiter, Opfermann, Hesse, &
Eysink, 2009; Mayer, 2009)
 The modality principle - Students better understand the content of a
multimedia instruction on a graphic, for example when words are described in
audio than when they are presented in a text on the computer screen
Richard E. Mayer and Roxana Moreno and presented in their paper "Nine Ways to Reduce Cognitive Load in Multimedia Learning" in 2003.
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4. The modality principle
 Cognitive Load Theory - suggests that effective instructional material
facilitates learning by linking cognitive resources to relevant activities in the
learning process (Chandler & Sweller, 1991).
 Cognitive Theory for Multimedia Learning - emphasizes the rules for
effective learning, establishing multimedia design principles applied in order
to stimulate cognitive processing and promote an effective learning (Clark,
2002; Clark & Mayer, 2016; Gerjets, Scheiter, Opfermann, Hesse, & Eysink,
2009; Mayer, 2009)
 The modality principle - Students better understand the content of a multimedia
instruction on a graphic, for example when words are described in audio than when
they are presented in a text on the computer screen
Richard E. Mayer and Roxana Moreno and presented in their paper "Nine Ways to Reduce Cognitive Load in Multimedia Learning" in 2003.
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5. Hypothesis
 H1 The effect of the delivery modality in the retention test (RT).
 H1a AG will outperform TG in RT.
 H1b AG will spend less time than TG in RT.
 H2 The effect of the delivery modality in the transfer test (TT).
 H2a AG will outperform TG in TT.
 H2b AG will spend less time than TG in TT.
 H3 The performance of the students of different undergraduate Programs (Business
Administration and Accounting).
 H3a The performance of the Business Administration students will be different from the students of
Accounting in RT.
 H3b The performance of the students of Business Administration will be different from the students of
Accounting in TT.
 H3c The time spent to perform RT will be different between the students of Business Administration and
Accounting.
 H3d The time taken to perform TT will be different between the students of Business Administration and
Accounting.
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6. Methodology
 Sample (153 students from Accounting and Business Administration
program):
 Audio Group (AG) - The AG participants were assigned to perform the same
activity by the computer, however the same explanation was presented by
audio file instead of the screen text exhibition for reading.
 Text Group (TG) - The TG participants received on the computer screen, a self-
instructional text to perform a specific activity based on the content of the
course
 Assessment:
 The participants' performance and response time were evaluated through a
retention test (RT) and a transfer test (TT) based on the three initial levels of
the Bloom taxonomy
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7. Procedures
Step 1 - Pilot
test
two groups
(Audio and
Text)
Step 2 - Pre-
test (PT) –
multiple
choice test
Step 3 -
Content
presentation -
audio or text
format
Step 4 -
Retention Test
(RT) – multiple
choice test
Step 5 -
Transfer test
(TT)
open question -
application
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8. Results an Discussion
Hypothesis P value Result
H1a AG will outperform TG in RT (p = 0.257, p > 0.05) Reject
H1b AG will spend less time than TG in RT (p = 0.876, p > 0.05) Reject
H2a AG will outperform TG in TT (p = 0.468, p > 0.05) Reject
H2b AG will spend less time than TG in TT (p = 0.690, p > 0.05) Reject
H3a The performance of the Business Administration students
will be different from the students of Accounting in RT
(p = 0.002, p < 0.05) Support
H3b The performance of the students of Business Administration
will be different from the students of Accounting in TT
(p = 0.002, p < 0.05) Support
H3c The time spent to perform RT will be different between the
students of Business Administration and Accounting
(p = 0.087, p > 0.05) Reject
H3d The time taken to perform TT will be different between the
students of Business Administration and Accounting
(p = 0.461, p > 0.05) Reject
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9. Conclusion
 The modality principle was not supported since both groups (AG , TG) had no statistical
significant differences between the performance and the time spent. No differences for
audio or text. We may use both.
 These findings may resulted due to the level of the multimedia lesson.
 The expertise of the learner may also have influenced the results.
 Understanding the impact of cognitive load may improve the learning outcome of the
instruction design.
 Balancing the visual and auditory modality may help the learner to use less cognitive load
and have more free memory space.
 Modality principle is still a work in progress and needs further experiments. Our results
support and contradict earlier findings.
 Instruction designer should provide both delivery options for the learner and let him/her
decide
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10.  Thank you
 Dutra (dutra@usp.br)
 Marcelo (marcelofs@outlook.cm)
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