Maximizing Student Engagement and Learning with NSU Video Tools

October 2, 2023 thoeck

by Jihong Tang, Instructional Designer II, NSU Learning and Educational Center

Educational videos have become an important content-delivery tool in higher education. Video learning can be a great supplement to traditional learning methods in higher education. However, passive engagement with videos is insufficient for learning (Koedinger, Kim, Jia, McLaughlin, & Bier, 2015). Students must actively interact with the video content to learn (Lai & Hwang, 2016; van der Meij & Dunkel, 2020; Yousef, Chatti, & Schroeder, 2014). Student engagement can be enhanced by well-designed instructional support (Dumford & Miller, 2018; Halverson & Graham, 2019; Xia & Wilson, 2018)

Mayer’s cognitive theory of multimedia learning (Mayer & Moreno, 1998) is used in research as a framework for understanding the process involved and potential benefits and drawbacks of using video in education. The theory is based on three key assumptions. First, there are two distinct channels, visual and auditory, through which information can be processed simultaneously. The visual channel is responsible for showing visual content while the auditory channel is responsible for audio narration. Second, each channel has a limited capacity and can only handle a small amount of information at once. An important guideline for an effective educational video is to keep it short. As videos are lengthened, student engagement drops. If the video is too long, it would be beneficial to break it into shorter segments by chapter or topic. The labeled “chapters” in the video allow students to move through the video at a digestible pace. The third assumption is that learning requires active processing to take place (Carmichael, Reid, & Karpicke, 2018). This assumption suggests that learners are more likely to retain information if they are actively involved in the learning process, rather than passively receiving information. In the context of video-based learning, learners should be encouraged to actively process the content presented in the video. Embedding guiding questions in the video, for example, helps students to focus their attention on essential elements.

Consideration of cognitive load, student engagement, and active learning in creating and implementing videos can maximize the effects and benefits of educational videos for their students (Brame, 2016). SharkMedia, Annoto and Flip are three valuable video-based learning tools that align with multimedia learning theory. Some features of these tools enhance learning and engagement.

SharkMedia is a comprehensive video platform. It allows users to easily create, edit, distribute, and manage high-quality videos on multiple devices. Some of the key features of SharkMedia includes:

Video Analytics – Displaying the information of engagement per user ( player impressions, times of plays, minutes viewed, an average of completion rate, social highlights, etc).

Chapters – Markers on the video timeline that are used to chunk the content of the video.

Video Quiz – Checkpoints of the learning through interim knowledge checks and end-of-video assessments.

Interactive Video Paths – Complex decision-making-based learning paths that can provide learners with different branches of learning paths based on their choices. The engaging and immersive formats help students learn, practice, or handle a challenge.

Annoto has several unique features compared to Flip and SharkMedia. One of Annoto’s special features allows instructors to seamlessly add interactive discussion and collaboration features to their existing video content.

Another unique feature of Annoto is its analytics capabilities. Annoto allows instructors to see detailed analytics on video interactions, student engagement, viewing patterns, and discussion activity. This can help instructors to better understand how students are interacting with their content and identify areas for improvement.

Annoto also allows for time-tagged comments and discussions that anchor to specific moments in the video, and all interactions are kept in the context of the video. This can help students to easily find and reference important information during class discussions or when reviewing materials later.

Flip is a tool for building a social learning community. It helps students to discuss their ideas and experiences with their peers. Students can record themselves or their screens, share their work on videos, and comment on each other’s work. An instructor can pose a topic in a grid which is similar to a message board, and their students post video responses. For example, Topics such as “Meet your classmates” or “Introduce yourself” allow students to get to know each other at the beginning of the semester. Flip increases engagement through:

· Video responses and Collaboration

· Feedback and Assessment

SharkMedia Interactive Video Paths, Annoto, and Flip are available to NSU faculty. They are all integrated with Canvas LMS (Learning Management System). The Learning and Educational Center (LEC) also presents regular workshops about these valuable tools. Click the links below to view previously recorded workshops for these topics.

These video tools can reduce cognitive overload when the amount and complexity of information presented in videos are carefully balanced. They also help students understand content effectively, increase student engagement, and promote active learning. Students are more likely to retain knowledge when they are actively engaged with the learning materials.

References

Brame, C. J. (2016). Effective educational videos: Principles and guidelines for maximizing student learning from video content. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 15(4), es6.

Carmichael, M., Reid, A., & Karpicke, J. D. (2018). Assessing the impact of educational video on student engagement, critical thinking and learning. A SAGE white paper.

Dumford, A. D., & Miller, A. L. (2018). Online learning in higher education: Exploring advantages and disadvantages for engagement. Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 30, 452-465.

Halverson, L. R., & Graham, C. R. (2019). Learner engagement in blended learning environments: A conceptual framework. Online Learning, 23(2), 145-178.

Lai, C. L., & Hwang, G. J. (2016). A self-regulated flipped classroom approach to improving students’ learning performance in a mathematics course. Computers & Education, 100, 126-140.

Koedinger, K. R., Kim, J., Jia, J. Z., McLaughlin, E. A., & Bier, N. L. (2015, March). Learning is not a spectator sport: Doing is better than watching for learning from a MOOC. In Proceedings of the second (2015) ACM conference on learning@ scale (pp. 111-120).

Mayer, R. E., & Moreno, R. (1998). A cognitive theory of multimedia learning: Implications for design principles. Journal of Educational Psychology, 91(2), 358-368.

Mayer, R. E. (2017). Using multimedia for e‐learning. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 33(5), 403-423.

Van der Meij, H., & Dunkel, P. (2020). Effects of a review video and practice in video-based statistics training. Computers & Education, 143, 103665.

Woolfitt, Z. (2015). The effective use of video in higher education. Lectoraat Teaching, Learning and Technology Inholland University of Applied Sciences, 1(1), 1-49.

Xia, J., & Wilson, D. C. (2018, February). Instructor perspectives on comparative Heatmap visualizations of student engagement with lecture video. In Proceedings of the 49th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education (pp. 251-256).

Yousef, A. M. F., Chatti, M. A., & Schroeder, U. (2014). The state of video-based learning: A review and future perspectives. International Journal on Advances in Life Sciences, 6(3), 122-135.

Articles