Comparing the article of Mousavi & Sweller with two articles of Min about Parallelism in open learning and working environments and the parallel instruction theory. Parallel instruction theory is an designing theory. The PI theory supposes that for simulation environments the need for instruction is great but parallelism is essential. The articles discussed all concern the topic of how to learn more easily and effectively. Many efforts and analysis are made in order to improving learning. The article reports that working memory has partially independent processors for handling visual and auditory material. Effective working memory may be increased by presenting material in a mixed rather than a unitary mode.
Similarities of the two articles
As Rik Min referred: Learners are best motivated to receive instruction when they can decide for them at what time and how much they need it. With linear instruction, the instruction always arrives at the wrong time and in the wrong quantity. However the interactive media prove in practice to be a collection of often-linear concepts, with consequent drawbacks.
Also, the linear media and boring lessons from a teacher are one way learning, while learning environments have a two-way potential. Good learning environments require parallel instruction. Open learning environments for simulation fail without instructions. Computer simulations have generally proved to be more successful when accompanied by paper notebooks.
As Mousavi & Sweller said: the split attention effect occurs when students must split their attention between multiple sources of information, which results in a heavy cognitive load. But the cognitive load associated with split attention may be reduced by presenting information with a dual rather than a unitary mode. Many experiments in various areas have demonstrated that the cognitive load consequences of split attention can be eliminated by physically integrating multiple sources of information. Processing in a dual rather than a unitary way can enhance working memory.
Computer based materials that did not take parallel instruction theory into account, failed time and again until the arrival of the multi-tasking operating systems. Total electronic learning needs a user environment in which things can be kept in view for an unlimited period of time. Most learners do not need the interaction between one object and the next. They like asynchrony objects.
As Mousavi & Sweller said: many theorists assume that there are multiple working memory stores. The multiple stores, streams, channels, or processors most frequently area associated with auditory or visual processing. The two supporting systems are assumed to process their different types of information in a largely independent fashion. The effective size of working memory may be increased by presenting information a mixed (auditory and visual mode) way. It is found that if people were given a complex message that needed to be visualized, recall of the message was enhanced if it was presented by the combination of auditory mode and visual mode.
When students must split their attention between multiple sources of information that require mental integration, cognitive presenting some of the verbal material in auditory rather than written form can increase resources available for learning. Split attention can be reduced by physically integrating disparate sources of information.
In all, people may not learn effectively simply by one way. The computer-based combined with the paper-based learning and the visual mode combined with the audio mode learning may create better learning environment.