Izvorni znanstveni članak
https://doi.org/10.7906/indecs.24.4.4
One Narrative, Multiple Media: Learning and Memory across Text, Audio, Video and Virtual Reality
Bruno Matijašević
; Catholic University of Croatia, Zagreb, Croatia
*
Nebojša Lujanović
; University of Split, Department of Communicology, Split, Croatia
* Dopisni autor.
Sažetak
This study examines how different media formats influence short-term memory across three educational levels. The aim was to determine whether the modality of content delivery-text, audio, video, or virtual reality (VR)-affects the recall of narrative information among primary school pupils, secondary school students, and university undergraduates. A narrative text was standardized and presented in four formats, and recall was measured using a 40-item factual checklist. The results demonstrate a significant interaction between educational level and modality. In primary school pupils, text, audio, and VR produced comparable recall, while video led to notably lower performance. Among secondary school students, text and video yielded the highest recall, followed by audio, whereas VR produced the weakest results. In contrast, VR was the most effective modality in the university cohort, outperforming video, audio, and text, the latter being the least effective. These findings indicate a developmental shift in the cognitive processing of media. Younger learners appear to benefit from simpler, less visually dynamic media, while older learners show increased capacity to integrate and retain information from immersive VR environments. Overall, the results challenge the assumption that traditional text formats are consistently the most effective for short-term memory and highlight the pedagogical potential of VR, particularly in higher education. Future research should test these findings on larger samples, examine long-term retention, and explore cognitive load mechanisms underlying modality differences.
Ključne riječi
learning environment; educational material; short-term memory; virtual reality; quasi-experiment
Hrčak ID:
347875
URI
Datum izdavanja:
31.8.2026.
Posjeta: 68 *