Video

Video Lectures
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Video Lectures

Popular instructional videos have such different styles, and there is no consensus in research about how to make the most effective instructional videos (Renkl, 2021). Videos can differ in whether or not we can see the instructor, presenting text as spoken and/or printed, and the overall layout. Sometimes, the layout is dependent on the topic. Math courses often have worked examples, and topics in the humanities may be presented as narratives. Table 1 is a non-exhaustive list of videos from well-received YouTube channels.

Voice
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Voice

Instructors have the option of lecturing with the human voice or a computer-generated voice. In a study involving a lecture on lightning formation, students learned better from the recorded human voice than the Microsoft text-to-speech software (Atkinson et al., 2005).

Animations

Animations

Let’s define “animation” as a medium that changes over time (i.e. dynamic) and appeals to the visual channel. Thus, animations can include cartoons depicting abstract topics or a video recording of the instructor demonstrating a procedure. Animations are suitable for subject matter that is dynamic, complex, and unfamiliar (Lowe et al., 2021) — such as showing velocity or acceleration (Ploetzner et al., 2020). Velocity and acceleration, which can be tough to describe in words, can be animated as how quickly an object is moving and in which direction.

Style of Language — Formal Versus Conversational
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Style of Language — Formal Versus Conversational

The style of language refers to the manner of speaking of the instructor or on-screen agent as well as the manner of written instructions. Formal tone speaks from the third-person perspective, while a conversational tone speaks from the first- or second-person perspective to reference the learner explicitly. Instructions given in a direct tone sound commanding; however, when delivered in a polite tone, they may be reworded as suggestions or questions.