Reading: A Coherence Effect in Multimedia Learning: The Case for Minimizing Irrelevant Sounds in the Design of Multimedia Instructional Messages

Journal of Educational Psychology 2000, Vol. 92, No. 1, 117-125
Authors: Roxana Moreno, Richard E. Mayer

Main point:

2 experiments (n=75, collage students) showed that groups learning with background music performed worse than with no music. Adding “bells and whistles” to a multimedia study material does not improve learning.