Investigating Cognitive Dynamics in Videos With and Without Instructor Presence

• In Event: 25.046 - Finding Synergy Across the Mind, Brain, and Internet in Educational Research: The Challenges, the Myths, and Some New Promising Connections

Abstract

Many online videos include an instructor next to the learning content. The current study aimed to explore cognitive dynamics in videos with and without instructor presence. Participants watched two statistics instructional videos that were conceptually relevant but with varied level of difficulty. While they watched the videos with or without instructor presence, their electrical brain activity was simultaneously collected via electroencephalography. Afterwards, learning from the two videos was measured using retention and transfer questions. Findings showed instructor presence improved learners’ ability to transfer information from the difficult topic. Also, instructor-present difficult topic video led to lower level of theta activity, which indicated decreased working memory load. Finally, EEG-derived cognitive dynamics was found to predict retention performance for the easy topic.

Authors

• Jiahui Wang, Kent State University

• Pasha Antonenko, University of Florida

• Andreas Keil, University of Florida

• Kara M. Dawson, University of Florida

• Carole R. Beal, University of Florida

• Matthew H. Schneps, University of Massachusetts - Boston