In attempting to clarify redundancy in regards to the Redundancy Principle, I really fell in love with the definition provided by Dictionary.com for redundancy. There, redundancy is defined as "the provision of additional or duplicate systems, equipment, etc., that function in case an operating part or system fails, as in a spacecraft" (Redundancy, n.d.). O.k., so while not flying a spacecraft, when providing redundancy in regards to multimedia design, we are providing multiple ways for a viewer to learn from our presentation(s). If either the visual or verbal channels are overloaded, redundancy will dictate that learning should be possible for all learners in all situations. Clark & Mayer explain in their text (2011) two Redundancy Principles, the second of which I demonstrate below.
Redundancy Principle #2
For the second Redundancy Principle, Clark and Mayer specify we should "consider adding on-screen text to narration in special situations" (2011, p. 141). This adheres closely to the definition of redundancy I gave above. While redundancy generally has negative connotations and is recommended to be avoided (as in Redundancy Principle #1), it can sometimes be a fallback option from which your viewers can learn. Take for example this video illustrating the water cycle. This video is actually designed by a non-native English Speaker and perfectly demonstrates how labeling each component discussed in the narration of the water cycle can help when "the learner must exert much greater cognitive effort to comprehend spoken text than printed text (for example, for learners who are not native speakers)" (Clark & Mayer, 2011, p. 142).
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References
Bodhaguru. (2013 August 30). Science - What is water cycle - English. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rp0b2fEcF_U
Clark, R. C., & Mayer, R. E. (2011). E-learning and the science of instruction: Proven guidelines for consumers and designers of multimedia learning. San Francisco: Pfeiffer.
Redundancy. (n.d.). In Dictionary.com. Retrieved from http://www.dictionary.com/browse/redundancy