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instruction methodology. Some experiments have
demonstrated that, at least under certain situa-
tions, e-learning can be at least as effective as
conventional classroom learning (see e.g. Zhang
et al., 2004; Dutton et al., 2001). But what about
the particular form of e-learning given by video-
lectures?
Lauer et al. (2004) evaluated the effectiveness
of some aspects of the user interface of video-
lecture based systems. They found that students
considered as important elements:
•
possibility to review (portion of) lectures
as a confirmation that their understanding
is correct;
•
ability to check the correctness of notes
taken during a lecture.
The interesting point here is that most students
did not consider video-lectures as an alternative
to class, but rather as an interesting new tool to
complement their traditional learning. This is
probably also the explanation of why they did
not consider the offer of a synchronous mode to
be a value.
In all these cases, the possibility to quickly
navigate the video-lecture was essential (and this
is one of the aspects that makes digital recording
deeply different from more traditional VHS-
based videos, the other being the ease of access
via download). The relevance of direct access to
a particular point of a video-lecture for review-
ing only a few minutes is also supported by the
analysis performed by Zupancic and Horz (2002).
According to Soong et al. (2006) “recordings en-
able them to access parts of lectures which they
do not understand”. Chiu et al (2006) report that
students are more willing to use the taped class
lectures for reviewing purpose if the taped video
is from their own class (rather than from another
class). The work by Zhang et al. (2006) shows
that students using what they call “interactive
video” (i.e. video-lectures with the possibility of
random access) achieved significantly better learn-
ing performance than those in other settings, and
also showed a higher level of learner satisfaction.
Ronchetti (2003a) also reports that students
who did not pass the exam at the first attempt
made (later) an intense use of the video-lectures
- meaning that these are helpful for students who
actually need more support. Zupancic and Horz
(2002) report a strong increase of system usage
right before the exams, which also suggests a form
of just-in-time support.
Bennett and Maniar (2008) discussed the
efficacy of video-lectures. They tried to offer a
•
Sound quality
•
Good readability of the accompanying
slides, annotation and clips
•
The possibility to have also a local copy of
the learning material (as opposed to being
able to only view in streaming mode)
•
The possibility to navigate the lecture both
by slide title and by a time-bar
•
The availability of text search (keyword or
full text)
Similar results were obtained by Ronchetti
(2003a), who also investigated what students
perceive as advantages of video-lectures. Some
of these advantages relate to the possibility of
not being present in class during (some) lecture:
•
possibility to recover lectures lost due to
forced absence (illness, work or other
time-frame incompatibility);
•
ability to better organize their time, decid-
ing not to be present at some lecture (elec-
tive absence);
Other (less obvious) advantages emerged
from investigations with students who regularly
attended the course:
•
possibility to review some critical point
(cases of poor understanding of a section
due to concentration drop, excessive speed
in an explanation or intrinsic difficulty);
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