Take 2 for Teaching & Learning – Dual Coding: Helping Students Learn Through Words and Visuals

As college instructors, we routinely ask students to learn complex concepts, processes, relationships, and systems. One way to support that learning is to intentionally combine verbal information with meaningful visuals, an approach known as dual coding. 

Dual coding is based on the idea that people process verbal and visual information through separate, but interconnected, systems (Paivio, 1971). When students encounter an idea through both words and a meaningful visual representation, when they have multiple ways of representing that information, they later have multiple ways of retrieving it. For example, an instructor explaining the flow of blood through the heart might pair the verbal explanation with a labeled diagram illustrating it. Similarly, a history instructor might use a timeline to represent relationships among events, while a mathematics instructor might pair an explanation of a function with a graph.  

The important point is that the visual should add meaning to the explanation. Research on multimedia learning suggests that students can develop a deeper understanding when words and relevant graphics work together than when information is presented through words alone (Mayer, 2011, 2017). 

Dual coding does not mean simply adding pictures to PowerPoint slides. A decorative photograph, clip art, or unrelated graphics may add visual interest without adding instructional value, and such irrelevant material can compete for students' limited cognitive resources. 

Faculty can incorporate dual coding in a few simple steps, without redesigning their entire course. Consider trying one of the following: 

• Turn notes into graphics: Transform a complex explanation into a concept map, flowchart, timeline, or other visual representation. 
• Annotate diagrams: Pair a diagram with concise labels that highlight the most important relationships or processes. 
• Explain graphs: Don't simply display a graph; explicitly guide students through what the graph communicates. 
• Ask students to create visuals: Have students construct a concept map, diagram, timeline, or other representation of what they have learned. 
  

Ultimately, dual coding is not about adding more information. It is about representing important information in meaningful, complementary ways. When faculty intentionally pair clear explanations with purposeful visuals, they can provide students with additional pathways to understand, organize, and remember what they learn. 

References

Davis, Melody. “Dual Coding - Providing an Image with Narration That Explains the Image Is the Most Effective Way to Teach.” Versant Learning Solutions, 9 Feb. 2021, versantlearning.com/dual-coding/.  

Mayer, R. E. (2011). Applying the science of learning. Pearson/Allyn & Bacon. 

Mayer, R. E. (2017). Using multimedia for e-learning. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 33(5), 403–423. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.12197 

Paivio, A. (1971). Imagery and verbal processes. Holt, Rinehart and Winston.