Two-dimensional taxonomy of instructional video styles: human embodiment and instructional media¶

Theory · All theories
Evidence · 4 claims (4 for) · 1 study (1 review), q2 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 4 claims rest on one study

Description¶

The article proposes a taxonomy that classifies asynchronous instructional videos along two nominal dimensions: human embodiment (the gamut of human presence, from audience shots to pen-tip capture) and instructional media (from slides and animation to physical objects). Each dimension's values range from digital or artificial to physical, and existing styles are mapped on a Cartesian scatter plot (Figure 2, Table 2). The article states: "In the proposed taxonomy, there are two dimension that determine the instructional video style: 1) human embodiment, and 2) instructional media." It extends Santos-Espino et al.'s speaker-centric/board-centric distinction by treating speakers and boards as complementary dimensions rather than opposing conditions.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Classification factors are nominal rather than quantitative; the taxonomy requires clearly defining nominal values before they can be measured quantitatively

Constraints¶

• The classification is mostly qualitative and does not provide information about popularity, learning effectiveness, or suitability to a particular pedagogy, which are left to further work
• The taxonomy is a snapshot of the current situation

Target Learners¶

• online and distance learners
• MOOC learners

Target Learning Objectives¶

• informed selection and design of instructional video production styles

Claims¶

• Guo et al. found engagement depends on video production style: short videos, talking heads on slides, Khan-style drawing more engaging than slides or coding, classroom recording weak online [+W]
• Human embodiment in video: perceived social presence benefits learning ratings, but instructor-face inclusion shows no significant learning-performance difference, and learners prefer human over robot presenters with mixed recall [+W]
• MOOC video styles cluster by discipline: humanities/arts favor speaker-centric, science/engineering favor board-centric [+W]
• Screencast design findings: static vs. dynamic screen movement, explicit vs. implicit narration, and handwriting preferred though typefaces judged more legible [+W]

Related Theories¶

• Dale's Cone of Experience as a framework classifying media experiences along concrete-abstract dimensions of learning

Examples¶

• Select a video production style holistically, considering course type, complementary materials, and learner needs rather than video alone
• Use the taxonomy as a design space to select or invent novel video formats, especially combining artificial characters with digital or physical media
• Index of instructional video styles (Table 2): a sampled classification of existing formats

Key Sources¶

• Chorianopoulos, K. (2018). A Taxonomy of Asynchronous Instructional Video Styles. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 19(1). https://www.irrodl.org/