Supporting Dual Coding

Below are various means of supporting dual coding. You can incorporate some of these assets and interactive opportunities into your courses and you can share these ideas with your students to that they have a means of building dual coding into their own study sessions.


Customizable Tools to Support Dual Coding

This tool has been designed to be customizable by faculty, and can be embedded directly into your LMS content. For further information on how to utilize this tool in your LMS see the Interactive-Components page.

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Accordion Builder

Accordion ID Accordion Name Accordion Contents

1

Flip Cards

Flip cards can be used to promote dual coding by including both an image and text to describe the same topic.

Flip Cards Exemplar

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Flip Cards Builder

Front Top Header Front Content Back Top Header Back Content

Question

What type of processing system is represented by this image?

An open book with writing on the pages

Answer

The verbal processing system.

Question

What type of processing system is represented by this image?

A camera

Answer

The non-verbal processing system

 

A somewhat round red fruit with a brown stem and a green leaf

 

Apple

Settings

The following setting(s) are available, please type 'y' for yes or 'n' for no in the following space provided:

  1. Randomize the flip cards when the page is loaded or refreshed by the learner? Type y for yes or n for no.  y

    Tips for Using Flip Cards

    • Design flip cards to help students identify what information they need to know. Students often struggle with identifying what information is key and what is supplementary.
    • Use a digital flip card deck to encourage students to stick with information until it is transferred to long-term memory. When students have the option to remove cards, they will often do so before they have retained the information (Karpicke, https://learninglab.psych.purdue.edu/downloads/2009/2009_Karpicke_JEPGeneral.pdf )
    • Ensure that images include appropriate alt text that describes the intent of the image and not the appearance of the image. If using the image to quiz students, ensure that the alt text does not include the answer.

    EdTech Tools to Support Dual Coding

    There are many EdTech tools that can support you in incorporating dual coding into the learning experiences you create. In addition, making students aware of some of the simpler tools below can support them in building strategies for more effective independent learning.

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    Accordion Builder

    Accordion ID Accordion Name Accordion Contents

    1

    H5P

    Take an image and create hotspots or drag and drop options in H5P, available through eCampusOntario.


     

    2

    MindMeister or Venngage

    Create a mind map or process illustration using Microsoft Visio or web-based applications such as MindMeister or Venngage.

     

    3

    Canva or Piktochart

         

    Illustrate concepts, create cue cards or annotate images using Canva or Piktochart.

     

    Using Dual Coding Outside the Digital Space

    To support students in building their own tool box of study strategies, encourage students to engage in some of the following activities as they are preparing for your assessments.

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    Accordion Builder

    Accordion ID Accordion Name Accordion Contents

    1

    Summarize or Label Images

    • Write summaries of or label images found in course materials.

    2

    Mind Maps

    • Draw mind maps to show relationships and hierarchies.

    3

    Venn Diagrams

    • Create Venn diagrams to compare and contrast two or three concepts.

    4

    Timelines, Flowcharts, & Illustrations

    • Draw timelines, flow charts, or illustrations to visualize written or verbal content.

    Important Consideration

    All images used in digital tools must have alternative (alt) text that describes their meaning. When including images in a dual coding activity, ensure that the alt text does not include the answer to the corresponding question (e.g. if asking students to name planets based on their images, include descriptor words in the alt text instead of the planet names).


    Tips to Support Dual Coding

    Below are some quick tips that you can use when you are building your learning experiences to embed retrieval practice directly into the learning.

      1. Use visuals that directly relate to the text or verbal material or to your own prior knowledge or understanding.
      2. Present text content next to the visual tool to help students make connections.
      3. Use visuals with minimal or no background detail, to ensure focus is on the main subject. Avoid photos and live videos when possible, because they increase cognitive load.

    Checking Your Knowledge

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    Question 1 text: What does “dual coding” mean?

    hint :Dual coding theory proposes that the brain processes visual and verbal information separately and simultaneously.

    Question Settings

    The following setting(s) are available, please type response in the following space provided:

    1. Question 1 Answer:Type option number for the correct answer. 3
    2. Randomize the options when the page is loaded or refreshed by the learner? Type y for yes or n for no. Yes

    Question 2 text: Dual coding is an effective learning strategy by:

    hint :When a concept is presented using both images and text/speech together, students encode both representations of the concept separately, resulting in more thorough processing and deeper retention of the information.

    Question Settings

    The following setting(s) are available, please type response in the following space provided:

    1. Question 2 Answer:Type option number for the correct answer. 1
    2. Randomize the options when the page is loaded or refreshed by the learner? Type y for yes or n for no. Yes

    Question 3 text: Which image will result in more durable learning?

    feedback :In the first option, the image is decorative and does not contribute to learning about the topic. In the second image, the image supports the text, by showing that oxygen is being released by the tree and broad leaf canopy.

    Question Settings

    The following setting(s) are available, please type response in the following space provided:

    1. Question 3 Answer:Type option number for the correct answer. 2
    2. Randomize the options when the page is loaded or refreshed by the learner? Type y for yes or n for no. Yes

    Quiz Settings

    The following setting(s) are available, please type response in the following space provided:

    1. Randomize the questions when the page is loaded or refreshed by the learner? Type y for yes or n for no. yes
    2. Insert Quiz Questions inside a Panel?Type y for yes or n for no. yes
    3. Make Panel Collapsible? Type y for yes or n for no. no
    4. Panel Title? Type the title of the panel.



    References

    Photography on this page used with permission from the Durham College Online Photo Database.

    Boser, U. (n.d.). Science of learning: Research meets practice – dual coding. The Learning Agency Lab. https://www.the-learning-agency-lab.com/learning-strategies/dual-coding/

    Clark, J.M., & Paivio, A. (1991). Dual coding theory and education. Educational Psychology Review, 3(3), 149-210. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01320076

    The Learning Scientists. (n.d.). Dual coding. The Learning Scientists. https://www.learningscientists.org/dual-coding

    Weinstein, Y., Madan, C.R. & Sumeracki, M.A. (2018). Teaching the science of learning. Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications, 3(2). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41235-017-0087-y

    Weinstein Y., & Smith, M. (2016, September 1). Learn how to study using... dual coding. The Learning Scientists. https://www.learningscientists.org/blog/2016/9/1-1