Investigating Video as a Means to Promote Vocabulary for At-Risk Children

• In Event: The Impact of Multimedia on Early Literacy Development and Essential Skills

Abstract

Purpose. Videos bring stories alive through sound, action, and zoom shots. Therefore, they offer more multifaceted nonverbal support than books (Kamil, Intrator, & Kim, 2000; Verhallen & Bus, 2010). This nonverbal support may be especially helpful for supporting the word knowledge of children with limited vocabulary. Yet, many teachers shy away from showing video in their classrooms because videos have garnered a reputation as non-instructional babysitters (Hobbs, 2006). What is needed is further research on the use of video in schools to determine the potential of video as a medium for vocabulary instruction. To meet this need, this paper reports on two quasi-experimental studies investigating the effects of video viewing on vocabulary learning with substantial numbers of kindergarten students who are from low-income and Dual Language Learning backgrounds.
Method. In the first study (n = 78), the effect of video viewing was compared with the effect of book reading on vocabulary learning. In the second study (n = 89), the effect of repeated viewing of video was compared with the effect of single viewing of video on vocabulary learning. Pre-test and post- test receptive and expressive vocabulary measures, which were aligned with the content in the studies, were administered.
Results. Analysis of Variance was used to test the effect of condition (i.e., video viewing versus book reading and single versus repeated reading) on children’s word knowledge. Results showed no difference in vocabulary learning between the video viewing and book reading conditions. Findings showed that there was no difference in vocabulary learning between children in the single and repeated viewing condition on the receptive measure, but children in the repeated viewing condition showed higher gains in vocabulary on the expressive measure. No differences were found in either study between children with higher and lower vocabulary knowledge.
Significance. The definition of literacy is expanding to various forms of multimedia. Thus, research is needed on the educational benefits of different types of content delivery. One area that shows promise of capitalizing on different types of multimedia is vocabulary instruction. The research presented in this paper suggests that, without instruction and within the context of the given content, listening to read alouds and viewing video are equally effective at promoting word knowledge; and repeated viewings of video are more effective than single viewings of video at supporting expressive vocabulary learning. This research builds previous studies on the affordances of video and provides foundation for continued research in this line of inquiry. [407]
References:

Hobbs, R. (2006). Non-optimal uses of video in the classroom. Learning, Media and Technology, 31 (1), 35–50.
Kamil, M. L., Intrator, S., & Kim, H. (2000). The effects of other technologies on literacy and literacy learning. In M. L. Kamil, P. B. Mosenthal, P. D. Pearson, & R. Barr (Eds.). Handbook of reading research (Vol. III, pp. 771–788). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Verhallen, M. J. A. J., & Bus, A. G. (2010). Low-income immigrant pupils learning vocabulary through digital picture storybooks. Journal of Educational Psychology, 102

Author

• Rebecca Deffes Silverman, University of Maryland - College Park