The Impact of Multi-Media Presentation Format: Student Perceptions and Learning Outcomes

Previous research suggests that lectures accompanied with picture-based presentations more effectively convey information and improve learning compared to traditional, text-based presentations. In the current study, Introductory Psychology lectures were presented with either only pictures on the slides or text and pictures. Both presentation formats had overlapping narration. One chapter from each exam unit was presented with the picture-only format and the remaining chapters were presented with the traditional text + picture format. Participants were asked about their perceptions of the presentation format at the end of each lecture, and exam scores were used to assess learning for each chapter. Results revealed higher exam scores for material presented with picture-only presentations compared to text + picture presentations, even when chapters were matched for difficulty. Participants rated both presentation types similarly when asked about their level of interest and engagement in the lectures. However, participants rated picture-only presentations lower than text + picture presentations when asked if the presentation style helped them understand the material. Overall, these results suggest that participants believe they learn more from text + picture presentations, but exam scores are higher for content taught with picture-only presentations.