Learning process and learning outcomes of video podcasts

What is it about?

Video podcasts have become one of the fastest developing trends in learning and teaching. The study explored the effect of the presenting mode of educational video podcasts on the learning process and learning outcomes. Prior to viewing a video podcast, the 94 Chinese undergraduates participating in the study completed a demographic questionnaire and prior knowledge test. The learning process was investigated by eye-tracking and the learning outcome by a learning test. The results revealed that the participants using the video podcast with both the instructor and PPT slides gained the best learning outcomes. It was noted that they allocated much more visual attention to the instructor than to the PPT slides. It was additionally found that the 22 min was the time at which the participants reached the peak of mental fatigue. The results of our study imply that the use of educational technology is culture bound.

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Why is it important?

Video podcasts are considered as having great promise for education, as they can present information through vivid visual and audio forms simultaneously, and the learning outcome of video podcasts has become a subject of considerable research interest. However, researchers gained consistent results on the learning outcomes of video podcasts. Understanding the learning process of video podcasts, in particular, viewing behaviours, and mental fatigue of learners, is crucial to improving learning outcomes.

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