Narration, Sound Effects, and

Background MusicTo Add or Not to Add?That is the Question

Michelle Meyer Ngai

Two Competing Theories

Arousal Theory Entertaining auditory adjuncts will peak learner’s

interest, resulting in improved performance.

Coherence Theory Unnecessary auditory material will reduce

effective working memory capacity and thereby interfere with the learning of the core material.

Which theory is correct? Both, to a certain extent. They’re not totally

mutually exclusive. Narration, sound effects, and music can be

effective if incorporated correctly. Majority of research indicates overuse of

auditory stimuli or use of irrelevant sounds will be detrimental to instructional goals.

When are auditory stimuli beneficial and how much is too much?

Narration

Sound Effects

Background Music

Narration Modality Effect

Learners who receive textual and pictorial materials audiovisually acquire more knowledge than learners who receive the same material only visually.

Dual-channel model of working memory Audiovisual (visual images and narration)

both channels are employed, increased retention Visual only (visual images and on-screen text)

only visual channel is employed, decreased retention

More About Narration: Reduces visual clutter. Directs viewer attention to the image, rather

than having to alternate between image and text.

If text and narration used together, they must be exactly the same. Discrepancies can result in distraction and cause

interference in learning.

Sound Effects Research results mixed. Two very similar studies by Moreno and Mayer

(2000): Lightning Process

NSD between group with narration only and that with narration and environmental sounds. (Sounds neither helped nor hindered.)

Car’s brake system Significant difference: group with narration only scored

significantly higher than group with narration together with mechanical sounds. (Sounds detrimental.)

Background Music Very tempting to add, isn’t it?! Some positive effects in the classroom:

Calming influence on hyperactive children Improved reading comprehension scores Increased speed in solving math problems Increased altruistic behavior in students

Majority of research in multimedia instruction shows detrimental effects on task performance.

Why is Background Music Detrimental? Usually irrelevant to instructional goal. Added in addition to narration and/or sound effects, resulting

in auditory overload. “The results of this auditory overload are that fewer of the

relevant words and sounds may enter the learner’s cognitive system and fewer cognitive resources can be allocated to building connections among words, images, and sounds.” (Moreno & Mayer, 2000)

“Learners cannot ignore the music information despite the fact that it is irrelevant for the instructional goal.” (Brunken, et al, 2004)

Conclusion Research supports the coherence theory of

multimedia learning which “…predicts that students will learn more deeply from multimedia presentations that do not contain interesting but extraneous sounds and music than from multimedia presentations that do.” (Clark & Mayer, 2008)

Implications for Us as Educators and/or Instructional Designers

We must use only those auditory adjuncts that will have a direct, positive effect on our instructional goals.

We must also pass on these best practices to our students.

References Brunken, R., Plass, J.L., & Leutner, D. (2004). Assessment of cognitive load in

multimedia learning with dual task methodology: Auditory load and modality effects. Instructional Science, 32, 115-132.

Clark, R.C. & Mayer, R.E. (2008). E-learning and the science of instruction: Proven guidelines for consumers and designers of multimedia learning.San Francisco, California: Pfeiffer.

Hallam, S., Price, J., & Katsarou, G. (2002). The effects of background music on primary school pupils’ task performance. Educational Studies, 28(2), 111-122.

Kerr, B. (1999). Effective use of audio media in multimedia presentations. Proceedings of the Mid-South Instructional Technology Conference, Murfreesboro, TN, March 28-30, 1999.

Moreno, R., & Mayer, R.E. (2000). A coherence effect in multimedia learning: The case for minimizing irrelevant sounds in the design of multimedia instructional messages. Journal of Educational Psychology, 92, 117-125.