The online learning modality that was picked by my group (The DeeGees) was online educational video, more specifically the platform of Lynda.com. There is an abundance of online video based courses from a variety of organizations such as Khan Academy and Open Professionals Education Network. Some of these sites have very targeted audiences, whether it be K-12 tutoring or occupational professional development. Lynda.com purports to be a platform that provides training in software, creative and business skills (Lynda.com, 2018). Given the wide variety of topics and the varying skill levels needed to complete the courses, I would like to examine the effects of cognitive load theory on such a medium.
Cognitive overload is “when the degree of mental effort exceeds processing capabilities” (Bradford, 2011, p. 217). Audio and video information can provide more information at a given moment to the brain when compared to textual information. While this can be more efficient, it can also be overbearing when there is too much to absorb. Subject matter can also factor into cognitive load. For example, when someone is learning how to perform a task, it may be easier to learn visually. For something that is not task-oriented like learning history or technical information, it may be more beneficial to read text or have less audio visual media. The length of such media is also important as studies have shown that there is a limit to how much an individual can recall from video exceeding a certain length (Wong, Leahy, Marcus & Sweller, 2012).
So far in exploring briefly through the course Photography Foundations: Composition, I have found that the videos are relatively short in length (approximately 5 minutes on average). I believe this will help with reducing the cognitive load on a student. The topic of photography is relatively new to me and the course itself is targeted to beginners so it makes sense that the number of concepts and ideas introduced in each video is reduced. Of course, it remains to be seen whether these ‘short’ videos will introduce more complicated topics within the timeframe. What other factors should I consider in determining cognitive load?
References
Bradford, G. R. (2011). A relationship study of student satisfaction with learning online and cognitive load: Initial results. The Internet and Higher Education, 14(4), 217–226.
Lynda.com. (2018). About Us | lynda.com. Retrieved April 18, 2018, from https://www.lynda.com/aboutus/
Wong, A., Leahy, W., Marcus, N., & Sweller, J. (2012). Cognitive load theory, the transient information effect and e-learning. Learning and Instruction, 22(6), 449-457.
Cognitive load is a complex subject to study and understand, and with many potential variables at play. You make an excellent observation on the inherent nature of content as in important factor in how the chosen medium helps cognition, and I have the sense that a lot of answers can be found pursuing that line of inquiry.
Thanks for the thoughts Irwin. I feel there will be more questions springing up along with the answers, but it will be an interesting study.
Hi George,
Great topic, I never would have thought to approach video learning from the perspective that it could possibly be cognitively overloading the participant.
You mention that video length could have an effect on cognitive overload, have you found any other tips to help avoid this? I only ask as I have been making instructional videos for my students recently and any help I can get in improving them is greatly appreciated.
Cheers
Hi Steve, thanks for the comment. Actually I’d like to pick your brain on this topic since you’re already in the business of making videos. As Irwin mentioned above, there are many factors at play including content. One other factor I’d like to note is audience. I believe your students are college level if I’m not mistaken (carpentry?). College students may have a different inclination towards being in front of a screen than perhaps younger elementary students. So far, I see in general a typical topic is covered in under 10 minutes (at least for Lynda.com). Whether this is best practice, I’m not sure. Maybe we can go over that in our presentation? 🙂
Hey George,
Glad to help out if you need to “pick my brain”..although not much there to pick I’m afraid.
If you want to connect send me an email
Cheers
Steve
Hi George,
It seems we are working on similar approaches. I’m intrigued to see how our results differ when we get to the end, and we should share. Definitely examining different contexts where video based learning can potentially be an efficient approach which doesn’t overload learners cognitively is one of my goals as well. In addition, evaluating what contributes to a situation of cognitive overload, and what factors potentially can be modified to reduce this (along with length etc.). I don’t want to get too broad with my approach, so will have to make adjustments as literature is discovered. I’m also interested to see how my evaluation of TedED differs from yours in Lynda. All the best.
Hi Stuart,
I’m excited to see what your team will find as well. My feeling is that TedED may not be so different, but content and audience may play a role in how things are structured. In the end, the goal should be to keep things simple as video based learning is typically self-paced and requiring a certain level of motivation. Without easy access to an instructor, I can see a student easily give up if the material is long, convoluted, and boring. Looking forward to seeing your findings. Cheers.
Hi George. I know you are probably knee-deep in your research but in case it helps at all, I stumbled upon an article titled “Learning declarative and procedural knowledge via video lectures: cognitive load and learning effectiveness” at the following link: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14703297.2016.1237371. Perhaps it could be of use. Cheers man.
Thanks Gavin. Much appreciated.