Enhancing Online Training for School Leaders

Course Paper

Abstract

Teaching online is primarily dissimilar from in-class teaching regarding required

technology, materials design, assessment, and, most importantly, learners’ motivation. Two

years ago, the pandemic urged the transition from in-class to online classes in three sorts:

synchronous courses utilizing live video conference, like Zoom, asynchronous courses with pre-

recorded instructional videos, and hybrid courses employing both styles. The educators were

unprepared to teach with insufficient resources and time (Hua et al., 2022; Ji-Young Seo, 2022).

However, the urged transition to online teaching caused several disadvantages; It did not fit the

learners’ perspectives and interests. Also, it failed to sustain the student’s attention to the

lesson information. Studies claim that online learning is not as effective as traditional face-to-

face instruction. Furthermore, deficient course designs and pedagogies have led to poor online

learning outcomes. Hence, improvised learning plans are increasing due to poor instructional

multimedia design. Therefore, scholars found that effectively designed videos can facilitate

better online and in-class learning. Nevertheless, students prefer instructional videos since this

medium offers them control over the pace of learning and is accessible. Besides, teachers can

follow up with the students’ learning. As a result, videos can hold learners’ attention with a

lesson and the provided information (Ji-Young Seo, 2022). In my position as course

development and training specialist at the school board, we need to employ instructional

videos and revise the pre-recorded hands-on sessions to train the school head staff, including

the teachers, to use the new school system. Significantly, the videos should be a dependable

source for the staff to watch and learn online independently. Accordingly, this literature review

examines utilizing the videos and applying the multimedia design principles to edit instructional

videos using tools like Camtasia (TechSmith, 2022), decrease the cognitive load and increase

learners’ engagement.

Introduction

Mayer (2021) proposed evidence-based principles for designing instructional videos and

employing cognitive theories of learning and multimedia instruction. The cognitive load theory

determines three types of cognitive load: intrinsic cognitive load, extraneous cognitive load,

and germane cognitive load. The theory identifies an instructional method employing cognitive

processing capacity for learners to develop knowledge and skills. The theory refers to the

working memory to complete a cognitive scheme, recalling the connections among task and

learner aspects; it demands assessment that recalls students’ performance of a specific task

(Sweller, 2020). Furthermore, intrinsic cognitive load identifies the inherent complication of the

learning materials and the student’s current knowledge. However, it is not easy to measure the

load when relying on the interactivity of information element numbers to process

simultaneously in the working memory (Sweller, 2020). Nonetheless, the intrinsic cognitive load

can be managed by segmenting the learning materials into a sequence of instructional

occurrences and recapping the semantic understanding. Likewise, the extraneous cognitive load

happens with an inadequate instructional design that demands learners to process nonessential

information occupying working memory aids. On the other hand, germane cognitive load refers

to the mental resources channelled towards schemata (mental frameworks) in long-term

memory. It reduces the cognitive load so humans can indicate and manage the outside

information. Notably, Mayer (2021) suggested thirteen principles of instructional video design.

First is the coherence principle to eliminate extraneous information. The second is the signalling

principle to highlight essential parts. The third is the redundancy principle to avoid the addition

of captions for the same narration. The fourth is the spatial contiguity principle to add text to

the graphic. The fifth is the temporal contiguity principle to offer related visual assets with the

video narration. The sixth is the segmenting principle to manage essential processing; the

educator should break a video into parts. The seventh is the pre-training principle; the educator

should first introduce the main concepts. The eighth is the modality principle, proposing words

as spoken text along the written ones. The ninth is the personalization principle to promote

generative processing; instructors should employ casual language. The tenth is the voice

principle, where the instructor should communicate friendly. The eleventh is the image

principle to avoid photos of the instructor. The twelfth is the embodiment principle, including

gestures and instructed learning strategies like summarizing, self-testing and self-explaining.

Lastly, the thirteenth generative activity principle is to add activities for meaningful learning.

Literature Review

Studies showed that an effective instructional design facilitates the germane cognitive

load to fulfill the students’ needs. Therefore, this literature review analyzes previous studies to

investigate further the effects of applying the design principles on reducing the cognitive load

to increase the learners’ engagement and enhance their learning outcomes (Hua et al., 2022).

Questions:

1. How does applying the multimedia and design principles to edit videos using a

video application increase the teacher’s role in motivating and engaging the learners?

2. How does applying the multimedia and design principles to edit videos using a

video application support their learning outcome?

A recent study examined the instructional video segmentation and self-explanation

strategies outcomes on cognitive load. The study focused on four types of videos:

segmentation, self-explanation, combined, and control created and tested by undergraduate

students (Hua et al., 2022). The students’ self-ratings on the cognitive load survey revealed that

the segmenting method delivered a remarkably less germane cognitive load than self-

explanation and control. Likewise, the self-explanation design did not create a more germane

load than the control design. Research results indicate that shorter videos encourage learning

engagement; however, learning from longer videos decreases engagement. Since online and

blended learning is opening, the education frameworks need more instructional videos. As a

result, the study suggested segmenting a long video into several instructional segments to

acquire effective learning. The results also suggested future research to analyze the effects of

segmentation and self-explanation on cognitive load by employing fewer segments and self-

explanation. Moreover, Hu et al. (2022) proposed utilize variables the student engagement and

measuring the cognitive load.

Earlier this year, research by Ji-Young Seo (2022) analyzed undergraduate students’

preferences in online liberal arts classes at a private university in South Korea concerning the

preferred instructional video design principles. The design principles were applied to edit

explicit instructional videos. Similarly, the researcher aimed to identify the engagement factors.

Further, Ji-Young Seo explained the interface design principles, including denoting a video,

segmentation and activities integration (Ji-Young Seo, 2022). The findings revealed that

educators should consider twelve principles in designing instructional videos, and the students

preferred the review quiz principle. Moreover, this element first employed the most significant

influence on engagement. It was also that incorporating real-life situation principles into

instructional videos significantly impacted engagement. Furthermore, the results showed that

the female students communicated a higher preference than male students regarding

previewing the course content and reviewing quiz principles online. Lastly, second-year

students favoured the review quiz principle more than the first-year students. The results of the

present study aligned with the previous research and showed that effective instructional design

of video-based lessons requires reducing the irrelevant elements, organizing necessary

processing, and facilitating productive elements. Mainly, the study found that students

appreciate video lectures and practical activities. The study’s findings require future research

on the pedagogical approach of the design of recorded lectures and structure to increase

engagement.

This study investigated if applying the positivity principle motivates positive emotions to

enhance learning and emphasizes the need to include social factors. Additionally, it highlights

the need to use the design principles to improve the cognitive factors through the cognitive

theory of multimedia learning (Lawson et al., 2021). The positivity principle that the researchers

applied represents that people learn reasonably from educators who show positive rather than

negative sentiments. So, the researchers conducted two experiments where students viewed a

short video with an instructor in the video, followed by an immediate or delayed test. Also, the

professor used her voice, gesture, and facial expression to show four sentiments while talking:

comfortable or happy (positive/active), content (positive/passive), frustrated (negative/active),

or bored (negative/passive). Then, learners were able to determine the emotional tone of the

instructor. Besides, regarding creating social contact during learning, students ranked a positive

instructor to facilitate learning positively, credible and more engaging than a negative

instructor. Regarding cognitive engagement, learners commented that they paid more

attention to a positive instructor than a negative one during learning. Finally, concerning

learning outcomes, students who watched a positive instructor achieved higher than those with

a negative instructor. In general, there was evidence for the positivity principle and the

cognitive-affective instance of learning from the instructional video.

Thompson et al. (2021) focused in their study on investigating the effect of designing

and segmenting instructional videos. The researcher assembled a mixed-methods study that

compared instructional videos into three components to investigate segmenting impacts on

learning and students’ interaction with the video. Also, the study indicated that segmented

video assists learning lessens the cognitive load and provides sufficient guidance about how to

do it. The results of this study showed that the length of video segments in designing

instructional videos is not as essential as the other instructional materials and techniques that

educators deliver to increase the students’ interaction.

Two years ago, Wang et al. (2020) analyzed the outcomes of educator presence by

employing emotional and psychophysiological measurements to measure cognitive load when

students are processing information from instructional videos. The researchers studied the

brain’s random electrical activity using electroencephalography (EEG) for sixty students while

watching instructional videos with and without the teacher’s presence. Accordingly,

participants self-reported overall load, intrinsic load, extraneous load, and the germane load

they experienced while watching the video. Thus, the result revealed that the instructor-

present video enhanced learners’ capacity to communicate information and was associated

with an intrinsic and extraneous load. Similarly, results demonstrated lower cognitive load for

students who watched the instructor-present video.

A few years ago, a study examined the teachers’ continuous and discontinuous presence

in instructional videos (Yi et al., 2019). Instructional videos recreate a meaningful function in

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). In this study, the researchers evaluated students’

outcomes by measuring achievement, satisfaction, social presence, and cognitive load during

processing information while watching the video and recalling information after watching the

video. Therefore, students in this quasi-experimental research were assigned to watch

instructional videos where the instructor had a continuous or discontinuous presence.

Furthermore, independent sample t-tests indicated that a teacher’s periodic presence in the

videos enhanced learning attainment and fulfillment. Besides, the videos helped reduce

cognitive load proximate to a constant teacher presence.

Liao et al. (2019) examined video interactivity and collaboration for learning

achievement, intrinsic motivation, cognitive load, and behaviour patterns in a digital game-

based learning environment. This study analyzed instructional video and collaboration’s impact

on students learning Newtonian mechanics within digital game-based learning conditions. The

findings demonstrated a beneficial relationship between using an instructional video and

collaboration. The cognitive load results suggested that using an instructional video lowered

intrinsic and extraneous cognitive loads.

Eight years ago, Kay (2014) conducted an investigation to acquire a theory-based

framework for producing instructional video podcasts, reasonably short ten-minute videos.

Moreover, the researcher applied sixteen design elements according to four categories,

specifying context, delivering functional explanations, reducing cognitive load, and engaging

students (Kay, 2014). The results revealed that learners kept positive attitudes toward using

edited video podcasts. Moreover, they noted that they were helpful, improved their

understanding, and improved their self-assessed knowledge.

Discussion

According to Mayer (2021), there are three learning principles: dual channels, limited

capacity, and active learning. In other expressions, learners use individual visual and verbal

channels in active cognitive processing. Nevertheless, learners can simultaneously comprehend

a certain amount of data in each channel (Sweller, 2020). Also, Mayer (2021) listed three

demands on the learner’s cognitive resources during instruction: extraneous, necessary, and

generative processing. Similarly, the positivity principle encourages positive emotions to

enhance learning and emphasizes the need to include social aspects. Additionally, it highlights

the necessity to employ the design principles to improve the cognitive through the cognitive

theory of multimedia learning (Lawson et al., 2021). Hence, the educator should add

demonstrated details to the video. Likewise, researchers recommended that educators

concentrate on precise design practices and employ graphic design principles to control

external elements that might delay learning.

Conclusion

Research revealed that applying the design principles can motivate the students,

enhance their learning outcome and reduce the cognitive load (Lawson et al., 2021; Hua et al.,

2022). However, using the length of video segments in creating instructional videos is less

important than the other design principles regarding the students’ interaction (Thompson et al.,

2021). On the one hand, the instructor’s social cues enhance the learner’s social presence

(Mayer, 2014; Wang et al., 2020). Henceforward, instructional video with an instructor’s

presence enhances the learning materials processing. On the other hand, research suggests

that having an instructor in the video improves retention. Although, some research indicated

that a teacher’s intermittent presence in the videos enhanced learning achievement and

satisfaction. Similarly, the discontinuous teacher-presence videos helped reduce cognitive load

proximate to a constant teacher presence (Yi et al., 2019). Consequently, future research

should investigate applying the multimedia theory design principles of recorded lectures and

instructional videos to increase engagement and employ its effects on reducing the cognitive

load as a measurement to improve the learners’ outcomes.

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