Content area

Abstract

Retention of online students is lower than that of students in face-to-face learning environments. With the growth in online learning, instructional video is becoming more common. This quantitative, experimental study examined the effect of seeing an instructor’s face within an instructional video through a webcam recording. A convenience sample of 128 participants at a medium-sized university in the Midwestern United States watched a video with the same content and audio narration but the experimental group also saw the instructor’s webcam video in a corner of the screen. Participants’ responses on in-video quiz questions and a post-survey were compared to identify significant differences in connectedness, attention, and satisfaction—variables that can positively impact student retention and learning outcomes. Participants who saw video of the instructor’s face reported significantly higher levels of satisfaction and connectedness, but there was no significant difference in attention. This study contributes to the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning and Social Agency Theory by updating and extending the image principle to include information about connectedness, satisfaction, and attention. Recommendations for future study include replication or similar studies with different content, instructors, and student populations; different methods to assess attention; an assessment of learning; and a similar study in a live class.

Details

Title
The Effect of Seeing an Instructor's Face within an Instructional Video on Connectedness, Attention, and Satisfaction
Author
Pierson, April
Publication year
2017
Publisher
ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
ISBN
978-0-355-08516-7
Source type
Dissertation or Thesis
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
1936016522
Copyright
Database copyright ProQuest LLC; ProQuest does not claim copyright in the individual underlying works.