MOOC video production affects student engagement (2014)

Summary:

Four main kinds of videos on the edX platform (2014):

- Recorded classroom lecture

- Instructor's talking head

- Khan-style digital tablet drawing (popularized by Khan Academy)

- PowerPoint slideshow

Main findings and corresponding recommendations:

1. Shorter videos are much more engaging. Engagement drops sharply after 6 minutes

2. Videos that intersperse an instructor’s talking head with PowerPoint slides are more engaging than showing only slides

3. Videos produced with a more personal feel could be more engaging than high-fidelity studio recordings

4. Khan-style tablet drawing tutorials are more engaging than PowerPoint slides or code screencasts

5. Even high-quality prerecorded classroom lectures are not as engaging when chopped up into short segments for a MOOC

6. Videos where instructors speak fairly fast and with high enthusiasm are more engaging

7. Students engage differently with lecture and tutorial videos