Online Video Usefulness:

The Effect of Self-Explanation on

LearningChristopher J. Devers, Erin E. Devers, Allie Alayan, and Cody Reaves

Indiana Wesleyan University

Why Research Video Learning?

• In the fall 2011 term alone, approximately 6.1 million students nationwide were taking at least one online course• Many of these courses used videos as part of their curriculum

(Lytle, 2011)

Khan Academy: Background

• Developed by Sal Khan in September 2006• Four different degrees

• Three from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology• Masters in Business Administration from Harvard University

• Not-for-profit• Change education

Why Research Khan Academy?

• Media Attention• Implications for online learning• Probability of Dependent Events

• Visual and audio explanation

• Over 4000 educational videos• K-12, Higher Ed• Translated into several different languages

Design: Overview

• Single variable (video creation) dual level (video creation or no video creation) experiment• Video creation, self-explanation• No video creation, non-self-

explanation

• Random assignment• Pre and post-test

• Nine questions in length• 15 minute time limit

• Measured the impact of self-explanation on learning

Design: Past Research

• Past research points to connection between a deep approach to learning and self-explanation• Characteristics of a deep approach:

• Active learning• Self-explanation

(Chi et al., 1989, 1994; Dunlosky et al., 2013 )

Design: Hypothesis

• Our hypothesis was that participants in the video creation, self-explanation condition would score higher on the post-test than participants in the no video creation, non-self-explanation condition

Condition: No/Video Creation

Condition: Video Creation, Self-Explanation

Participants: Overview

• Video: 22• No Video: 22• Male: 13• Female: 31• Mean GPA: 3.4• Math Majors: 1• Education Majors: 5• First-year: 31%• Second-year: 21%• Third-year: 24%• Fourth-year: 24%

Question: Learning Gain

• Rohita, Sydney, and Erik went to a charity event. The event is raffling off three different cars: an Audi R8, a Mercedes c350, and a Shelby Mustang. If there are 10 people total at this event, what is the probability that Rohita will win the Audi R8, Sydney the Mercedes c350, and Erik the Shelby Mustang?

• Pretest Percentage Correct: 0.7%• Post-Test Percentage Correct:

60%

• Rocky is rolling a dice at the same time that Rachel is flipping a coin. What is the probability that Rocky will roll a 5 on the 6-sided die and Rachel will flip a heads on the coin?

• Pretest Percentage Correct: 32%• Post-Test Percentage Correct:

71%

Question: Learning Breakdown

• A single 6-sided die is rolled. What is the probability of rolling an even number?

• Pretest Percentage Correct: 92%• Post-Test Percentage Correct:

84%

• A bag contains 8 marbles: 2 red marbles, 2 yellow marbles, and 4 blue marbles. If you take two marbles at the same time, what is the probability that you'll get 1 yellow marble and 1 blue marble?

• Pretest Percentage Correct: 0%• Post-Test Percentage Correct:

0%

Results: Overall

• Independent samples t-test• No video: Higher pre and post-

test• Greater improvement

• Paired samples t-test• Significant difference between

means, regardless of condition

No Video Video0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

PreTest PostTest

Condition

Mean

Results: Gender

Pretest Total: Mean Post-Test Total: Mean Change from Pre to Post-Test: Mean0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

Male Female

Mea

n

Results: Year in School

Change from Pretest to Post-Test: Mean0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

First-year Second-year Third-year Fourth-year

Mea

n

Results: Significant?

• Data analysis did not reveal a significant main effect of condition• Video creation (M=0.96, SD=1.36) • No video creation (M=1.32, SD=1.67)

• Paired samples t-test• Main effect of time of test taking found

• t(44)= -4.963, p>.05• Pretest (M=2.39, SD=1.82)• Post-test (M=3.52, SD=2.10)

Discussion: Overview

• Hypothesis not confirmed• Link may not be as strong as we initially proposed• Meaningful results that guide future research• Guiding the curriculum of online classes at universities

Discussion: Limitations

• External Validity• Small sample size

• Difficulty of Questions• Confounding Variables• Subject Matter

• Content of video

• Embarrassment• Variations

Discussion: Future Directions

• Concurrent vs. retrospective• Khan style vs. pure self-explanation• For self vs. others• Authentic audience vs. virtual audience• Low quality self-explanation vs. high quality self-explanation• Khan vs. MIT vs. Educator.com

References

Blakemore, S. J., & Frith, U. (2005). The learning brain: Lessons for education. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell.

Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R. R. (2000). How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

Chi, M. T., Bassok, M., Lewis, M. W., Reimann, P., & Glaser, R. (1989). Self-explanations: How students study and use examples in learning to solve problems. Cognitive science, 13(2), 145-182.

Chi, M. T., De Leeuw, N., Chiu, M. H., & LaVancher, C. (1994). Eliciting self-explanations improves understanding. Cognitive science, 18(3), 439-477.

Crippen, K. J., & Earl, B. L. (2007). The impact of web-based worked examples and self-explanation on performance, problem solving, and self-efficacy. Computers & Education, 49(3), 809-821.

Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K., Marsh, E. J., Nathan, M. J., & Willingham, D. T. (2013). Improving students’ learning with effective learning techniques: Promising directions from cognitive and educational psychology. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 14(1), 4-58.

Lytle, R. (2011). Study: Online education continues growth. U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved from http://www.usnews.com/education/online-education/articles/2011/11/11/study-online-education-continues-growth

Stigler, J. W., & Hiebert, J. (2009). The teaching gap: Best ideas from the world’s teachers for improving. New York, NY: Free Press.

Willingham, D. (2009). Why don’t students like school: A cognitive scientist answers questions about how the mind works and what it means for the classroom. San Francisco, California: Jossey-Bass.

Questions

• christopherdevers@gmail.com

• erinedevers@gmail.com

• alliealayan@gmail.com

• codylreaves@gmail.com

• EdProfessor.com