Information Design II:

“Construction and Interference in Learning from Multiple Representations,” by Wofgang Schnotz and Maria Bannert

Dual-coding Theory posits that information is remembered better which text is integrated with pictures. Mayer supports this theory, stating that pictures under specific conditions support the understanding of technical or physical phenomena.

Spoken or written texts, mathematical equations or logical expressions are descriptive representations. Symbols have an arbitrary structure. On the contrary, pictures, sculptures or physical models are depictive representations consisting of iconic signs. They possess specific inherent structural features that are associated with the content they represent. Mental model construction implies a transition from a descriptive to a depictive representation.

The authors, as a result of their findings, state that dual-coding theory is incomplete because it does not take into account that subject matter can be visualized in different ways and that the form of visualization affects the structure of the mental representation. While it assumes that adding pictures to text is advantageous, the theory ignores the notion that the picture may interfere with mental model construction. This is particularly potent for learners with prior knowledge in a domain if they are presented with poorly-designed pictorial representations. Research states that learners with little prior knowledge in a subject matter are the ones who benefit most from the integration of images with text.