The Modality Principle

The modality principle claims that learning will be enhanced if presenting textual information in an auditory format, rather than in visual format, when it is accompanied with other visual information like a graph, diagram or animation.1) Ginns, Paul. Meta-analysis of the modality effect. Learning and Instruction 15, no. 4: 313-331. August 2005.

A recent meta-research has examined results of 43 studies and confirmed that1):

Modality effect can be used to enhance learning

Strength of the modality effect is moderated by the level of element interactivity of the materials.

Strength of the modality effect is moderated by the presentation pacing: effect is stronger for system-paced materials, and weaker for self-paced materials.