Can multiple “spatial” virtual timelines convey the relatedness of chronological knowledge across parallel domains?

Single linear virtual timelines have been used effectively with undergraduates and primary school children to convey the chronological ordering of historical items, improving on PowerPoint and paper/textual displays. In the present study, a virtual environment (VE) consisting of three parallel related timelines (world history and the histories of art and psychology) was used to convey both chronology and the cross-referencing and relatedness among the three domains of material. Undergraduate participants were able to use the VE more effectively than booklets, better remembering the chronological ordering of all materials and successfully cross-referencing from one domain to another. The paradigm arguably invokes the use of high capacity spatial memory, and could potentially be used to convey and remember large amounts of historical-chronological information.

► Placing historical information in a spatial-temporal virtual context enhances recall. ► Parallel virtual time lines allow successful recall of several domains of information. ► Use of a temporal-spatial protocol allows cross-referencing between domains.