–By Richard Trotta —
The latest research confirms the effectiveness, which depends on the task, and crucially, combining senses increases the effectiveness of the learning process.
Visual + auditory together (words + pictures/narration), the most reliable overall
Humans process information through dual channels; aligning concise visuals with spoken or written words reduces cognitive load and improves transfer and retention across various ages and subjects.
Visual + auditory + purposeful action (manipulation/gesture/handwriting), powerful when the concept benefits from doing.
- Multisensory learning (coordinating sight, sound, and action) often outperforms single-sense training, especially for perceptual, spatial, and symbol-learning tasks. Examples: handwriting can improve letter recognition; teacher/learner gestures and well-scaffolded manipulatives can boost math learning when they highlight the underlying ideas. Arizona State University+4PubMed+4UCR Faculty+4
- Single-modality instruction (visual-only or auditory-only) is helpful but generally less effective when employed alone
- Use when: you must minimize overload (e.g., complex diagram studied quietly) or when the content is purely verbal (e.g., phoneme discrimination). As a rule, add the complementary channel (brief narration for diagrams; a simple diagram for explanations) for better outcomes.
Source: SpringerLink
Annotated Bibliography
(Latest Research on Modalities for Learning, 2024–2025)
- Mayer, R. (2024). The Past, Present, and Future of the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning. Educational Psychology Review.
Comprehensive review of 40+ years of CTML. Confirms robust evidence for combining words + pictures/narration, summarizing 15 validated design principles. → Use as your anchor citation.
- Chen, C., et al. (2024). Effects of Video Playback Speed and Distractors on Learning. Educational Psychology Review.
Finds that even under distractions, dual-channel audio-visual materials outperform audio-only; reinforces resilience of multimodal design.
- Kleftodimos, A. (2024). Animated Educational Video: Evidence-Based Design. Information.
Supports multimedia + modality principles: animation with narration beats narration alone or text redundancy.
- Visual + Auditory + Purposeful Action (When “Doing” Matters)
4. Ibaibarriaga, I., et al. (2025). Handwriting vs. Typing in Children’s Literacy
Learning. Journal of Educational Psychology.
Handwriting produced more accurate mental representations of letters/words than typing. Shows strong behavioral advantage for “see+hear+do.”
- Marano, A., et al. (2025). Handwriting and Learning: A Neuroscience Review. Brain Sciences.
Synthesis of fMRI + behavioral studies: handwriting engages visual-motor networks, boosting encoding and recall.
- Kersey, A., et al. (2024). Gesture Training in Elementary Math. Frontiers in Psychology.
Students using gestures generalized learning better than action-only groups; gestures highlight underlying math concepts.
- Paraskevopoulos, E., et al. (2024). Multisensory Training Supports Generalization. NeuroImage.
Multisensory (vs. uni-sensory) training produced broader neural generalization, confirming added value of coordinated senses.
- Di Fuccio, R., et al. (2025). Multisensory Interfaces in Early Learning. Interactive Learning Environments.
Classroom RCT: children using multisensory (sight+sound+smell) interfaces showed higher recall than peers with standard digital tools.
- Single Modality (Useful, but Limited)
9. Clinton-Lisell, V. (2024). Learning Styles: A Meta-Analysis. Meta-Psychology. Finds no evidence that matching teaching to single-modality “learning styles” improves achievement. Counters common myths.
- Fan, L., et al. (2024). Multisensory Toys in Education: A Review. Frontiers in Education.
Shows that single-channel tools underperform compared to well-designed multisensory toys; children engage and learn more with richer sensory input.