Does a Lack of Contiguity with Visual Text Cause the Modality Effect in Multimedia Learning?

In the reported study it was examined whether the modality effect in multimedia learning is caused either by more cognitive resources being available when studying pictures accompanied by auditory text or by the need to split attention between written text and pictures. Ninety-eight students learned about the development of tornados. They heard or read the verbal explanation concurrently with, before, or after the corresponding picture. Learning was measured by verbal recall, pictorial recall, and transfer. For pictorial recall a modality effect was found with simultaneous presentation but not with sequential presentation. This indicates that the modality effect is caused by a split of attention with visual text and picture and not by enhanced cognitive resources with auditory text and picture.