Mind the Digital Gap: Genre and Instructional Supports in Children’s Informational YouTube Videos

• In Event: From Digital Textbooks to YouTube: Innovations in Digital Learning Design

Abstract

Extending early literacy research on informational text, this study examined the prevalence, viewing patterns, and instructional quality of informational videos viewed by children (ages 3–8) on YouTube. Parents reported YouTube videos their children had recently viewed, of which 74 were identified as containing informational content. Each video was categorized as expository, narrative-informational, or hybrid; coders evaluated instructional quality based on multimedia learning principles and formal features. Analyses revealed a dominance of narrative-informational videos, with expository content underrepresented across age and gender groups. Expository videos were more commonly viewed in co-viewing contexts. Instructional evaluation showed frequent use of engagement and signaling principles, but limited support for managing load and reflection. Genre-based differences were most pronounced in engagement, signaling, and coherence.

Authors

• Wei Pu, University of Hong Kong

• Somin Park, The University of Hong Kong

• Rebecca Dore, University of Delaware

• James Alex Bonus, The Ohio State University

• Brenna Hassinger-Das, Pace University