Glossary · 5 · Multimedia and visual information
Redundancy principle (multimedia learning)
Also known as: Redundancy effect
German: Redundanzprinzip
In cognitive load theory and the cognitive theory of multimedia learning, the redundancy principle states that presenting the same information in several forms at once — for example narration together with identical on-screen text, or a self-explanatory diagram with text that restates it — can hinder learning, because learners must process and reconcile the duplicate information.
- Applied cognitive psychology
- Multimedia and visual information
In one sentence
The redundancy principle: identical information in several forms at once, such as narration plus the same on-screen text, can hinder learning.
Example
An e-learning module shows the full narration as on-screen text next to an animation of the filler. Learners read instead of watching; after the text is replaced by three short labels on the animation, test scores in the pilot improve.
Rests on
- Cognitive load theory and Extraneous cognitive load: processing duplicate information adds load without adding understanding.
- Working memory: identical spoken and written text compete in the same verbal processing.
- Expertise reversal effect: information that is essential for novices can be redundant for experts.
How it applies
- Video and e-learning: Narrate animations; do not show the same sentences as on-screen text. Short labels or key terms are not the same as full redundant text.
- Figures: A self-explanatory diagram does not need a paragraph that restates it; text should add what the figure cannot show.
- Audiences: Offer experts a reference view without the explanations novices need.
Instructional redundancy vs. deliberate redundancy of safety information
The principle concerns duplicate presentation during learning. Safety information follows other rules: a hazard may need a safety sign on the machine, a warning at the step and an entry in the safety chapter, because readers meet it at different times and places. That repetition follows from the risk assessment and the applicable requirements, and the redundancy principle never justifies removing it. A warning message that combines a symbol and text is not redundant in this sense either.
Limits
- Effects depend on pacing, prior knowledge and language: on-screen text can help learners who are not native speakers or who cannot hear the narration, and accessibility requires captions.
- Evidence comes mainly from learning experiments.