NUI Galway – UL Alliance First Annual ENGINEERING AND - ARAN ...

Assessing the effects of interactivity features on learning effectiveness in an
asynchronous video-based online learning environment
Barry Coughlan, b.coughlan2@nuigalway.ie
M.Sc Applied Computing and Information Technology
Supervisor: Ms. Karen Young
Abstract
In the past few years many universities, including MIT,
Harvard and Stanford have begun to provide video
lecture content for free online, and non-academic
equivalents such as Khan Academy have seen a sharp
rise in popularity. Their growth can be attributed to
the increased availability of broadband, the growing
popularity of video-sharing sites and the availability of
free video hosting from these sites. However, these
video-sharing sites are not designed with education in
mind. The goal of this research is to improve the state
of video technologies used in an educational context.
1. Online Learning Environments
The constructivist learning theory asserts that
students learn when they actively construct knowledge
through interaction with peers, instructors and course
content, with a focus on active participation. The
constructivist approach is well-suited to online learning
environments. These environments allow students to
work at their own pace and in their own time, and
interact with others though synchronous
communication (e.g. real-time chat) and asynchronous
features (e.g. discussion boards, e-mail). Hypertext
content is easily navigated, well-structured and quickly
searchable (a feature lacking in traditional media).
2. Video Learning and Content
Interactivity
Research into video-based learning environments
has shown marked improvements over text-based
environments, but its efficacy is contingent on the
interactivity features present in the system. University
institutions that provide online lectures have generally
not gone beyond the formats of linear video, due to the
constraints imposed by technology and video providers.
Current online video solutions generally suffer from
poor structural transparency, low navigability, high
cost of editing and no control of pace.
3. Proposed Design
The following features will be explored in the design:
3.1. Navigation
Typically, text media can be navigated through a
nested table of contents. Video navigation could be
improved by adding a table of contents and colourcoding
sections in the video navigation bar.
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3.2. Searching
Associating subtitles, keywords and descriptions
with sections of video allows students to quickly locate
relevant material.
3.3. Controlling pace
The ongoing development of the HTML5 standard
allows native video to be displayed within the browser,
allowing the ability to change the rate of video
playback without altering the pitch, allowing users to
control learning pace in the same way that they can
control the pace at which they read a textbook.
3.4. Editing
Video material is difficult to edit due to the cost of
production. The use of text annotations to add
corrections may provide some relief in this regard.
4.1. Integrating online community features
Video e-learning has rarely been integrated with
online learning environments which permit interaction
and engagement with peers and instructors. This
project will explore the combination of video and text
environments on learning effectiveness.
5. Measuring Learning
Student completion rates can be 10-20% lower in
online courses when compared to face-to-face courses.
It is therefore important to measure student satisfaction
when assessing a particular environment, as students’
enjoyment of using a particular system could affect
their willingness to continue using it. It has been
shown that test grades do not accurately measure
learning outcomes. The constructivist approach focuses
on real-world problem solving, and thus an assigned
task might be a better reflection of learning outcomes.
This research will explore the most appropriate method
to quantifiably assess learning gains using task
performance as a proxy.
5. Conclusion
While many institutions have invested resources in
exploring the potential of on-demand video education
resources, the development of suitable technologies has
not reflected this interest. Current systems lack
navigability, are difficult to search and edit and don’t
allow users to control the pace of learning. This
research seeks to advance the state of the art of ondemand
educational video technology,