Usability design for video lectures

Abstract

There is a growing number and variety of educational video lectures online, but there is limited understanding of their effectiveness in terms of learning and usability. Although there is significant research literature within the individual domains of usability and of video learning, there is limited understanding of their integrated design. In particular, there is limited research on guidelines for usable video lecture design, such as the presence of humans in the video and navigation support through the video. For example, it is established that learners benefit from highly structured learning material, but the manual editing of video is not feasible for most learning organizations and instructors. In order to accommodate this emerging instruction medium we are drawing design principles and models from the research literature on educational technology and video interaction. Moreover, we provide a comprehensive approach to the design of usable video lecture systems and content. Finally, we suggest that learning organizations and instructors should invest additional effort in video systems that support an integrated approach to editing, sharing, and controlling of video lectures.