Applying Multimodality Theory In Video Mediated Teaching In Synchronous Online Programs

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has considerably changed learning conditions and made educational institutions shift from face-to-face teaching to synchronous online teaching. Nevertheless, teaching methods used during the pandemic showed several disadvantages because teaching languages with online technology was not accustomed to teachers and students. Thus, we analyzed students’ perceptions of multimodal elements, videos, subtitles, and teaching methods in language learning. Accordingly, students’ attitudes toward the use of videos as multimodal resources were explored in an intensive online program, and factors influencing their engagement in online learning were identified. The participants comprised 33 students who joined a free online summer program offered by a college during the pandemic. The program was aimed at helping unemployed graduates aged 15–29 years take a series of career training courses. To address the issue of receiving simplistic and surface-level answers from the questionnaires, interviews were carried out to gather more compelling information. The results revealed that the students had positive attitudes toward incorporating video subtitles in online classes. In particular, they thought video captions facilitated learning vocabularies and structures online. Therefore, video materials were feasible for teaching English as a second language. Pedagogical implications regarding the use of videos as an educational tool were presented in this study.