Many people learn skills through self research and discovery of online resources. These can be in the form of online forums, Youtube videos, or Wikipedia articles. Personally, I have a tendency to search the internet for extra support when it comes to complicated topics for classes or things in my everyday life. I have found that the most effective resources for cramming the night before an exam often are found in the form of a video explanation over a written resource. The dual coding theory explains why visual and auditory information from videos are preferable for remembering information. The dual coding theory describes how our brains store information as visual and audio categories (Mahon, nd). When your visual and audio categories both store certain information, we are more likely to store the information.

Dual Coding Theory on Vimeo (Mahon, nd)

Screencasts such as the video on Dual Coding above, demonstrates how audio and visuals can be used to teach a concept. Next time you are looking for extra support for that concept you couldn’t quite understand in math class, try searching an online video platform for content that utilizes the dual coding theory.

References:

C.M. Mahon. (n.d.). Dual Coding Theory & Multimedia Learning. Dual Coding Theory & Multimedia Learning from Cian Mac Mahon on Vimeo. https://player.vimeo.com/video/57440483.