Does Digital Slide Accessibility Matter? Considering Undergraduates’ Differences in External-Storage Effects of Note-Taking and Working Memory

Although digital slides (e.g., PowerPoint) have become a prevalent instructional tool in university settings, few studies have evaluated their efficacy by examining distinctions in students’ note-taking habits and working memory capacities. The present study explored how the learning outcomes of undergraduate students differ under varying conditions of slide accessibility (full, none, partial), taking into account their individual differences in note-taking and working memory. To this end, 240 samples were collected from six repeated sessions with 40 undergraduates. Reviewing notes was permitted before conducting tests to assess the external-storage effect. Types of note-taking were categorized into words and markers to measure their quantity: words were further sorted into words related to slides and words extending beyond slide content, while markers were divided into structuring, emphasizing, connecting, and summarizing. Working memory capacity was gauged using operation span and reading span tasks. Results from a mixed effects analysis indicated a significant association between full access to slides and higher recall test scores, whereas partial access was linked to superior scores in the higher-order performance test. The study found that both types of note words were significant predictors of learning success. However, the positive impact of note words was moderated negatively by connecting markers and reading span scores. This research, with its detailed conditions and covariates, sheds light on why previous studies have produced varied outcomes.