Learning from Dialog versus Monolog Videos

Arizona State University, Scottsdale AZ

Investigators

Abstract

Knowing the benefit of active learning is a major issue for faculty teaching undergraduate students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The importance of increasing student knowledge, retention, and graduation in STEM has become a national concern in regards to maintaining global competitiveness in the STEM workforce. By examining the use of monolog and dialog based videos for instruction in STEM, this mixed-methods (quantitative and qualitative data collection) research study investigates student achievement in relation to students' interest/enjoyment and effort/importance and provides a more complex understanding of active learning. Such inquiries that move beyond laboratory settings and extend to real classroom contexts are particularly warranted. The results from this project could have compelling implications for developing digital materials to facilitate STEM learning. Moreover, as faculty seek new ways to deliver content to students, this study informs the ways in which that content can be delivered. The goals of the project are (1) to test these novel instructional video formats that merge out-of-classroom assignments with active learning in an authentic college science classroom and (2) to seek an explanation for the influence of monolog and dialog conditions on learning and how these formats mediate student achievement. The research consists of a cross-over design that varies video type (dialog vs monolog video) and counterbalances the presentation conditions of course topics. Analysis of the data consists of first conducting dependent samples t-tests to determine if data from similar viewing conditions (monolog or dialog) can be combined from different points in time. A series of analysis of covariance steps will then be conducted to look for a main effect of the monolog or dialog videos on student achievement measures. Multiple regression analyses will be conducted to determine the relations between video viewing time, survey variables, and student learning.