The Presenting Formats Of Video Podcasts Effect On Learning Effectiveness And Mechanism:an Eye Tracking Study

Nowadays, video podcasts have been widely applied into online learning. Video podcasts considered as a rich and powerful learning tools, as they can present learning information in an attractive manner. Studies suggested that video podcasts can attract learners’attention, stimulate their learning interests, and deepen their understanding. Therefore, many researchers and educators are focused on the learning effectiveness of video podcasts. It is commonly believe that cognitive load and social presence are two of key factors influencing the learning effectiveness during video podcasts learning. Researchers claimed that we should add more social cues in video podcasts, such as the image of the instructor and students. However, it would provide irrelevant information beyond what was conveyed in the video podcasts, and take attention away from the the visual information in the slides, adding extraneous cognitive load. In this study, we focused on enhancing learners’sense of social presence through adding social presence cues, and the effect of these cues on cognitive load and learning effectiveness. Previous research mainly used questionnaire and interview to study this problem, which could not study the visual mental process of learning. We explored the presentative format of video podcasts could optimally enhance learning, through comparing the learning effectiveness of four video podcasts with different formats. Based on cognitive load theory and social presence thoery, we examined the degree of social presence and level of cognitive load of the video podcast with highest learning effectiveness. Eye movements of participants were recorded by eye-tracking technology. And we analyzed their attention allocation and cognitive process in the video podcast with highest learning effectiveness. It attempted to explore the basic principle of video podcasts learning, and provided some suggestion to design video podcasts.Based on analysis of literature, it reviewed the application of video podcasts in online learning, related research. And according to practice, we summarized four main presenting formats of video podcasts in online learning. Then we conducted an eye tracking experiment to examine the effect of video podcasts’presenting formats on learning effectiveness and which factor attributed to learning.84undergraduates viewed one of four different presenting formats of video podcasts:1) PPT video condition, in which only synchronized PPT slides were included;2) instructor without PPT condition, in which only the instructor was included;3) instructor with PPT condition, in which the instructor and PPT were included;4) interactive classroom condition, in which the whole learning activity in classroom was recorded, included the instructor, students and PPT. Background knowledge tests was filled in before viewing the video podcasts, and learning effectiveness, cognitive load questionnaire, and social presence questionnaire were filled out immediately after viewing.We made the following conclusions:We made the following conclusions:1. Participants achieved best learning performance in instructor with PPT condition.2. The video podcast with instructor with PPT format caused relatively higher degree of social presence.3. The video podcast with instructor with PPT format caused relatively lower level of cognitive load.4. Participants in instructor with PPT condition spent more time looking at the instructor than PPT, and they were into fatigue sate after learning21minutes.