Dual Coding Theory and Education

Draft chapter for the conference on " Pathways to Literacy Achievement This chapter presents a dual coding theoretical and prescriptive analysis of early education in " ordinary " and impoverished environments. The first of two parts begins with the historical background of two intellectual solitudes that eventually came together in dual coding theory (DCT), followed by a summary of the theory and supporting evidence. The second part focuses on a developmental DCT hypothesis that bears most directly on educational applications relevant to the theme of this conference volume. I draw especially on a recent update and extension of DCT (Paivio, 2006) as well as earlier publications relevant to education (e. Historical Background Dual coding theory has its roots in the practical use of imagery as a memory aid 2500 years ago (Yates, 1966). The memory emphasis evolved into broader applications of imagery aimed at accelerating the acquisition of knowledge. Language was always implicated but became explicitly involved as an educational partner when imagery began to be systematically externalized as pictures. The language emphasis increased during the Renaissance when influences from imagery mnemonics systems and formal logic brought words and things together in a " new logic " in which language was intended to mirror the structure of the world (Rossi, 2002). Religious iconoclasm and other influences raised doubts about the efficacy and morality of imagery and elevated language to the dominant position that it still occupies in education. Modern empirical evidence led to a revival of imagery and the beginnings of an educationally relevant DCT. The following summarizes some of the main events and players in this long drama. The apex of the imagery mnemonic tradition was Giordano Bruno's 16 th century occult memory system (Yates, 1966), which sought to unify earthly knowledge and the supercelestial world of ideas using variants of the ancient method of loci linked to magical star-images organized according to the associative structure of astrology. For example, one Brunian method combined (a) a square architectural system of rooms subdivided into places for storing images