This study examined the effect of video on student learning outcomes in online courses in the vein of several earlier studies that show a positive correlation between social interaction in online learning and retention. Most of these studies examined discussion boards and collaborative tasks and found that students that engaged with their peers in class were more likely to complete the course. The author proposed that video could play a similar role in asynchronous courses and give students the connection that would make course completion more likely.
The author also cited studies which emphasised the role of active learning in the effectiveness of video content (1, 2). Videos in combination with synthesis in discussion or note taking were found to be more effective than video alone. The study used this kind of video in a testing environment at the Open University of Israel, which lists 43,000 undergraduate students and 3,500 graduate students from Israel and around the world. The university offers both physical and online coursework and video introduced to their platform in 2010. The author examined before and after retention rates in several advanced core classes and found that while video lectures didn’t improve grades or performance for students, they did improve retention.
EdLab Relevance:
As we begin to think about learning management systems and the role our tools can play in a course environment, it’s good to have some inspiration. The study found positive outcomes for retention with the inclusion of video and emphasized the need for the kind of critical video offered by tools like Vialogues.
