Effective Educational Videos: Principles and Guidelines for Maximizing Student Learning from Video Content
Cognitive load
Suggests that memory has several components
Sensory memory
Is transient, collecting information from the environment.
Information from sensory memory may be selected for temporary storage and processing in working memory, which has very limited capacity.
The learner must be selective about what information from sensory memory to pay attention to during the learning process, an observation that has important implications for creating educational materials.
Intrinsic load
Is inherent to the subject under study and is determined in part by the degrees of connectivity within the subject
Germane load
Is the level of cognitive activity necessary to reach the desired learning outcome—for example, to make the comparisons, do the analysis, and elucidate the steps necessary to master the lesson
The ultimate goal of these activities is for the learner to incorporate the subject under study into a schema of richly con- nected ideas.
Extraneous load
Is cognitive effort that does not help the learner toward the desired learning outcome
It is often characterized as load that arises from a poorly designed lesson but may also be load that arises due to stereotype threat or imposter syndrome
Student Engagement
The first and most important guideline for maximizing student attention to educational video is to keep it short.
Use a conversational style
it is important to consider whether they were created for the type of environment in which they will be used
Active Learning
Package Video with Interactive Questions
They may help to optimize cognitive load by decreasing extraneous load and increasing germane load
Interpolated questions may produce some of their benefit by tapping into the “testing effect,” in which recall of important information strengthens students’ memory of and ability to use the recalled information
May help students engage in more accurate self-assessment, an important benefit for a medium that students may perceive as “easier” than text.
Use Interactive Features That Give Students Control
Students who were able to control movement through the video, selecting important sections to review and moving backward when desired, demonstrated better achievement of learning outcomes and greater satisfaction
Use Guiding Questions
This strategy is often used to increase student learning from reading assignments, and it can translate effectively to helping students learn from video.
Make Video Part of a Larger Homework Assignment
Students valued the videos and that the videos improved students’ understanding of difficult concepts when compared with a semester when the videos were not used in conjunction with the homework
Summary
Keep videos brief and targeted on learning goals.
Use audio and visual elements to convey appropriate parts of an explanation; consider how to make these elements
complementary rather than redundant.
Use signaling to highlight important ideas or concepts.
Use a conversational, enthusiastic style to enhance engagement.
Embed videos in a context of active learning by using guiding questions, interactive elements, or associated homework assignments.