Berner, Eta S., and Barbara Adams. "Added Value Of
Video Compared To Audio Lectures For Distance Learning." International
Journal Of Medical Informatics 73.2 (2004): 189. Academic Search
Complete. Web. 24 May 2012.
Eta S. Berner and Barbara Adams conducted a trial that compared
audio and video technology in an online lecture. They organized a random sample of 50 M.S.
Health Administration students from two classes at the University of Alabama at
Birmingham. One group of students viewed a presentation with audio and video of
the lecturer; the other group viewed the same presentation with audio only.
According to Berner and Adams, research shows that
audio-enhanced computer-based lectures are as effective as live lectures, but
little research had been done on video-enhanced computer-based lectures. They
point out that advocates of video-recorded lectures believe it personalizes the
class experience; opponents cite the expense and the bandwidth required to produce
and broadcast it. Their goal is to determine whether video is worth adding to
the online classroom experience.
Using data from surveys taken after students viewed the
presentations, Berner and Adams found that the majority of students in the
audio-only lecture said they would have preferred it with video; however, less
than half of those in the video lecture found the video to be helpful, and a
third of them felt the video was distracting. They concluded that students “think”
they would prefer video-enhanced lectures, but when they get it, they don’t
find it very helpful or satisfying; as a result, video recordings may not be
worth the trouble.
I question whether the medium impacted students’ opinions. Because students would be focused on the slides in the presentation, naturally
they would be distracted by video and favor audio. If the lecture wasn’t paired
with any visual aids, students may find video more helpful and more engaging.
In other words, it seems that students would prefer to have some kind of
visual; they just wouldn’t want those visuals to compete. The researchers do
point out that this study needs to be repeated with other course content in
order to arrive at a more definite conclusion.
Another factor influencing these results is the lecturer’s
constraints and charisma. The researchers note that a zoomed-in shot of a speaker
limits his/her performance of body language and, therefore, wouldn’t be as
helpful as a full view of the speaker in motion; additionally, the speaker just
might not be very exciting. A study of various video angles with different
speakers would help draw further conclusions.
I recommend this article for anyone interested in the
affordances and limitations of audio and video lectures in distance education. I
think we assume video-enhanced lectures are better because they seem to get us
closer to the F2F experience; however, video can be distracting for those on
the screen and for those watching it, and audio provides us with enough of that
personal touch that we may not need video for certain content. This article shows that DE
instructors and administrators shouldn’t automatically turn to video for course
content, particularly presentational lectures; instead they should carefully
examine the impact video will have on students’ interaction with course content
before choosing to utilize it.
Hi Megan! The title of this post caught my attention, and I'm glad I read it. As a distance learning student, I can't imagine taking courses without video. But if the instructor uses PPT, then I would prefer only the PPT slides and audio. So, I agree, based on my experience, that students want/need some type of visual to complement the audio, but the choice of visual depends on the instructional context. The study should be replicated with different content and contexts. I look forward to your research on this. :) Thanks for the interesting, nuanced review.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Eric! I think students do just want some form of visual, and that visual should enhance whatever is going on. If it's a presentational speech, the visual should be something like a powerpoint, but if the goal is discussion/dialectic, I think video is necessary. I started this process with a bias: I don't like video because I'm self-conscious. By the end of my studies, I've learned it's "just me", haha, and video is really quite useful in online environments.
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