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A video lecture instructor exhibiting positive emotion has been shown to induce similar emotions in students, improving the students' motivation and increasing their attention, thus improving their learning performance. However, little systematic research exists on which specific design features with regards to the instructor can induce such emotions. The current study aimed to test whether congruent body gestures boost the effects of an instructor's facial expressions (happy vs. bored) on learning from video lectures in terms of students' emotions, motivation, attention, cognitive load, and learning performance. There were four conditions: (1) a happy face without body gestures, (2) a happy face accompanied with happy body gestures, (3) a bored face without body gestures, and (4) a bored face accompanied with bored body gestures. One-way repeated ANOVAs showed that congruent body gestures strengthened the emotional effects, and strengthened the attentional split effects of the happy face; when the instructor did not produce body gestures, her happy face facilitated students' learning performance compared to the bored face. Our findings suggest that instructors should be encouraged to exhibit a happy face without body gestures when giving video lectures to increase students' learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Learning from video lectures with peers, that is, co‐viewing video lectures, is a common mode of learning across a wide range of ages and topics in the information age. Objectives: The present study tested the effects of learners' motivation on co‐viewing video lectures in terms of learning performance, mental effort, and interpersonal brain synchronization (IBS). Methods: The current study was quantitative experimental. In total, 142 participants were recruited and divided into 71 dyads to manipulate task motivation from three aspects: meaning, interest, and reward. Then, they were divided into three experimental conditions according to the level of task motivation: two low task motivation learners (LL condition), a combination of one low and the other high (HL condition), and two high task motivation learners (HH condition). Two participants in a dyad were asked to view a video lecture on a shared screen and not talk until the end of the video lecture, with both learners in full view. Simultaneously, we recorded the cortical hemodynamic activity of two participants in each dyad using functional near‐infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Results and Conclusions: The group‐level analysis showed that two high‐task motivation learners had better learning performance, greater mental effort, and stronger IBS than a combination of one low and one high‐task motivation and two low‐task motivation. The results from the individual assessment indicated that pairing a person with low task motivation with another with high task motivation resulted in benefits for the low‐task motivation learner in terms of their self‐perceived learning. However, it negatively affected the performance of the high task motivation learner. Implications: First, high‐task motivation learners were encouraged to co‐view video lectures. Second, instructors were encouraged to intervene between their interactions by providing timely feedback to avoid losses for high‐task motivation learners, as this composition benefits low‐task motivation learners. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Most studies consider viewing video lectures as an individual process and test the role of learners' motivation at the individual level.Co‐viewing video lectures is a common mode of learning across a wide range of ages and topics in the information age.Learners' task motivation is essential for optimal learning in various settings. What this paper adds: Having two high task motivation co‐viewers enhanced their learning, encompassing retention, transfer, and confidence in performing well.Having two high task motivation co‐viewers enhanced IBS in the rTPJ‐rTPJ and IPL‐SMA pairings.Pairing a low task motivation learner with a high task motivation learner could be beneficial for the low task motivation learner, but it may result in losses for the high task motivation learner. Implications for practice and/or policy: Future work should verify the conclusions of the current study in natural settings, allowing verbal interaction versus settings permitting only nonverbal interaction and avoiding experimenter expectations.Future research should continue to test the long‐term effects of pairing a low task motivation learner with a high task motivation learner.We encourage high task motivation learners to co‐view video lectures.Instructors are advised to intervene in the interaction of pairs of a low task motivation learner with a high task motivation learner, for instance, by providing timely feedback. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Leaderboards are a highly popular gamification component used in student learning to enhance motivation, attentional engagement, and learning performance. However, few studies have examined the effects of individual leaderboard elements on English vocabulary learning through video lectures. Objectives: The present study aimed to examine how different leaderboard elements (i.e., points and rank) may affect students' English vocabulary learning through video lectures. Methods: A total of 34 students were assigned to groups using different leaderboard elements in a counterbalanced order. Participants' motivation, eye movements, and learning performance were measured and analysed. Results and Conclusions: Students' leaderboard rank was shown to increase their motivation regardless of whether other elements were present. Eye movement tracking revealed that the presence of the leaderboard increased students' saccades between the questions and the options, and lengthened their dwell time on the learning materials while reducing their dwell time on the non‐learning‐related screen areas. Presenting students' rank alone also improved their learning performance. Implications: Our findings strongly support the use of video lectures for English vocabulary learning, with the following recommendations: (1) Instructors should present students' rank on the leaderboard to enhance students' motivation and engagement; (2) Instructors should present only the students' rank on the leaderboard to also enhance students' learning performance. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: While learning English vocabulary from video lectures, students might experience low levels of motivation and engagement, and pay less attention to the lectures.Leaderboards are a highly popular gamification component used in student learning to enhance motivation, attentional engagement, and learning performance.It remains unclear which leaderboard elements (i.e., points or rank) contribute most significantly to the effectiveness of the leaderboards. What this paper adds: Leaderboard elements have different effects on English vocabulary learning.The rank on the leaderboard benefited students' motivation and engagement.The rank also enhances students' confidence and learning performance. Implications for practice and/or policy: Instructors should present students' rank on the leaderboard to enhance students' motivation and engagement.Instructors should present only the students' rank on the leaderboard to also enhance students' learning performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examined whether students' prior knowledge moderated the effects of their motivation compositions on learning performance (ie, retention and transfer) and interaction (ie, interpersonal brain synchronization (IBS) and behavioural pattern) in learning from video lectures. The results confirmed the benefits of the composition of two high motivation students on their knowledge transfer. The results also showed that students' prior knowledge had a moderating effect on interaction. For low prior knowledge students, high motivation composition increased their IBS in the temporoparietal junction‐inferior parietal lobule (TPJ‐IPL), temporoparietal junction‐supplementary motor area (TPJ‐SMA), inferior parietal lobule‐supplementary motor area (IPL‐SMA) and anterior prefrontal‐anterior prefrontal cortex (aPFC‐aPFC) regions during co‐explaining and enhanced their regulating‐related behavioural sequences and decreased disagree‐related behavioural sequences. However, for high prior knowledge students, a high motivation dyad composition decreased their IBS in the supramarginal gyrus‐anterior prefrontal cortex (SMG‐aPFC) while co‐viewing the video lecture, and in the TPJ‐IPL, TPJ‐SMA, IPL‐SMA and SMG‐aPFC during co‐explaining, cognitive communication, argumentation‐related and regulating‐related behavioural sequences but enhanced off‐task‐related behavioural sequences. Our findings suggest that instructors should encourage high motivation students to co‐view video lectures, and scaffold students with low prior knowledge to enhance regulating‐related behavioural sequences and scaffold students with high prior knowledge and high motivation to enhance cognitive communication, argumentation‐related and regulating‐related behavioural sequences and decrease off‐task‐related behavioural sequences. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Co‐viewing video lectures is a common form of learning across a wide range of ages and topics.Students' motivation is essential for optimal learning in various settings (eg, face‐to‐face classroom and online learning).Students' prior knowledge moderates the effects of their motivations on learning from video lectures from the individual perspective.What this paper adds The composition of two high motivation students benefits their knowledge transfer.For low prior knowledge students, the composition of two high motivation students increased their IBS in the TPJ‐IPL, TPJ‐SMA, IPL‐SMA and aPFC‐aPFC regions, enhanced their regulating‐related behavioural sequences and decreased their disagree‐related behavioural sequences.For high prior knowledge students, the composition of two high motivation students decreased their IBS in multiple brain regions, as well as their cognitive communication, argumentation‐related and regulating‐related behavioural sequences, but enhanced their off‐task‐related behavioural sequences.Implications for practice and/or policy High motivation students are encouraged to co‐view video lectures.Instructors should scaffold students with low prior knowledge to enhance regulating‐related behavioural sequences.Instructors should scaffold students with high prior knowledge and high motivation to enhance cognitive communication, argumentation‐related and regulating‐related behavioural sequences and decrease off‐task‐related behavioural sequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study tested the mutual effects of the instructor's eye gaze and facial expression on students' eye movements (i.e. first fixation time to the slides, percentage dwell time on the slides, and percentage dwell time on the instructor), parasocial interaction, and learning performance in pre-recorded video lectures. Students (N = 118 undergraduate and graduate students) were assigned to watch one of four videos in a 2 (gaze: direct, guided) × 2 (facial expression: surprised, neutral) between-groups design. Contrary to our hypotheses, eye movement data showed that students who watched the video lecture with the instructor's guided gaze and surprised face showed longer first fixation time to the slides and lower dwell time on the slides; these students also had lower learning scores. Instructor eye gaze and facial expression did not influence students' ratings of parasocial interaction. Our results suggest that in reference to social cues during video lectures with slides, "more" is not necessarily "better." The findings have practical implications for designing pre-recorded slide-based video lectures: An instructor is cautioned against using multiple social cues simultaneously, especially in video lectures in which the instructor and the visual learning materials compete for students' attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Video lectures which include the instructor's presence are becoming increasingly popular. Presenting a real human does, however, entail higher financial and time costs in making videos, and one innovative approach to reduce costs has been to generate a virtual speaking instructor. Objectives: The current study examined whether the use of a virtual instructor in video lectures would facilitate learning as well as a human instructor, and whether manipulating the virtual instructor's characteristics (i.e., voice and appearance) might optimize the effectiveness of the virtual instructor. Methods: Our study set four conditions. In the control condition, students watched a human instructor. In the experiment conditions, students watched one of (a) a virtual instructor which used the human instructor's voice and an AI image, (b) a virtual instructor which spoke in an AI voice with an AI image made to speak using text‐to‐speech and lip synthesis techniques, or (c) a virtual instructor with used an AI voice and an AI likable‐image of an instructor. Results and Conclusions: The AI likable instructor condition had a significant positive effect on students' learning performance and motivation, without decreasing the attention students paid to the learning materials. Implications: Our findings suggest that instructional video designers can make use of AI voices and AI images of likable humans as instructors to motivate students and enhance their learning performance. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Video lectures which include the instructor's presence are becoming increasingly popular.Presenting a virtual instructor (i.e., a pedagogical agent) in video lectures has been shown to reduce costs of video production, both financially and in terms of time. What this paper adds: An AI‐generated voice and an AI‐generated image facilitated more students' transfer performance than a human instructor.The AI likable instructor condition had a significant positive effect on students' learning performance and motivation, without decreasing the attention students paid to the learning materials. Implications for practice and/or policy: We encourage instructional designers to use AI‐generated voices and AI‐generated images connected to a virtual instructor instead of a human instructor in video lectures.We encourage instructional designers to use likable human images (as defined by the students themselves) as a way to motivate students more and enhance their learning performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although more and more online courses use video lectures that feature an instructor and slides, there are few specific guidelines for designing these video lectures. This experiment tested whether the instructor should appear on the screen and whether her position on the screen (left, middle, right of the content on the slides) influenced students. Students were randomly assigned to watch one of four video lectures on the topic of sleep. The results showed that the video lectures with an instructor's presence (regardless of position) motivated students more than the video lecture without an instructor presence did. Learning performance and satisfaction were highest when the instructor appeared on the right side of the screen. Furthermore, eye movement data showed that compared to students in all other conditions, students in the middle condition paid more attention to the instructor and less attention to the learning content, and switched more between instructor and learning content. The findings highlight the positive effects of the instructor appearing on the right side of the screen in video lectures with slides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study tested the interaction effect of the instructor's eye gaze (direct gaze vs. averted gaze) and facial expression (happy face vs. neutral face) on students' attention and learning performance in slide-based video lectures. University students (N = 120) participated in the experiment in a laboratory setting. The results of ANOVAs showed that students in the conditions that included the instructor's direct gaze paid greater attention to the instructor's face and paid less attention to the video lecture slides. However, direct gaze predicted better learning when the instructor had a happy facial expression. Our results suggest that the effects of an instructor's eye gaze are modulated by her facial expression in this educational context. The findings have practical implications for designing slide-based video lectures: an instructor is encouraged to look straight towards the camera with a happy expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Instructors' speech and gestures are tightly integrated. However, little is known about the neural mechanisms by which different types of gestures affect learning. We conducted two experiments on the effects of gestures in video lectures that included an instructor and slides, with English vocabulary as the topic. In Experiment 1, we manipulated the instructor's gestures (beat gestures vs. pointing gestures vs. depictive gestures) on neural oscillations and learning performance. The electroencephalogram results showed that students had higher alpha power and higher beta power when the instructor used pointing gestures, suggesting lower sensorimotor involvement in processing. Pointing gestures produced lower learning performance than beat gestures and depictive gestures. In Experiment 2, we manipulated the instructor's pointing gestures and the richness of visual materials in video lectures. The results showed that the effectiveness of pointing gestures was moderated by the richness of the visual materials on the slide. Specifically, pointing gestures were more effective for complex versus simple learning materials. The findings suggest that electroencephalogram oscillations and learning performance vary with the type of gesture the instructor uses and the richness of visual materials in video lectures. This study has applied value for designing effective video lectures in many disciplines: (1) When a video lecture includes simple visual materials, a beat gesture and depictive gesture would be better; (2) when a video lecture includes complex visual materials, the instructor can produce pointing gestures to single out the learning content they are talking about. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Instructors commonly produce gestures while they teach, and their gestures and speech are tightly integrated.Instructors often use three types of gestures: beat gestures, pointing gestures and depictive gestures.Different types of gestures influence learning via different neural mechanisms.What this paper adds Students' alpha power and beta power had lower amplitudes when observing an instructor's beat gestures, compared to pointing and depictive gestures.Students showed higher learning performance after viewing the video lectures with the instructor's beat and depictive gestures.An instructor's pointing gestures facilitated learning performance primarily in video lectures with complex visual materials (CVM) rather than simple visual material (SVM).Implications for practice and/or policy When a video lecture includes SVM, the instructor is encouraged to produce beat gestures and depictive gestures rather than pointing gestures.When a video lecture includes CVM, the instructor is encouraged to produce pointing gestures to single out the learning content they are talking about. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, we tested the effectiveness of three learning strategies (self‐explanation, learning by teaching and passive viewing) used by students who were learning from video lectures. Effectiveness was measured not only with traditional measures, but also with electroencephalography (EEG). Using a within‐subjects design, 26 university students viewed three sets of short lectures, each presenting a different set of English vocabulary words and were asked to use a different learning strategy for each set of lectures. Participants' EEG signals were assessed while watching the videos; learning experience (self‐reported motivation and engagement) and learning performance (vocabulary recall test score) were assessed after watching the videos. Repeated measures ANOVAs showed that the self‐explaining and teaching strategies were more beneficial than the passive viewing strategy, as indicated by higher EEG theta and alpha band power, a more positive learning experience (higher motivation and engagement) and better learning performance. However, whereas the teaching strategy elicited greater neural oscillations related to working memory and attention compared to the self‐explanation strategy, the two groups did not differ on self‐reported learning experience or learning performance. Our findings are discussed in terms of potential application in courses using video lectures and in terms of their heuristic value for future research on the neural processes that differentiate learning strategies. Practitioner NotesWhat is already known about this topic Watching video lectures does not always result in learners actively making sense of the learning material.Self‐explaining facilitates deep learning from viewing video lectures and in traditional educational settings.Learning by teaching also facilitates deep learning in traditional educational settings.What this paper adds Learning by teaching resulted in the highest theta and alpha band power in EEG assessment while viewing video lectures.Compared with passive viewing, learning by teaching enhanced students' motivation to try to understand the material; in addition, both learning by teaching and self‐explaining enhanced the amount of mental effort students put into understanding the material.Learning was increased via both self‐explaining and teaching strategies after viewing video lectures.Implications for practice and/or policy Learners are encouraged to generate explanations during pauses in video lectures or after viewing them, in order to increase learning.Learners are also encouraged to learn by teaching, as this strategy can increase learning and also increase neural oscillations associated with memory and attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An instructor's gestures have an effect not only on students' learning but also on teaching itself. In two experiments, this study tested whether instructors' use of gestures while recording video lectures affected their teaching performance, stress, and cognitive load. In Experiment 1, participants recorded video lectures with gestures or without gestures. As hypothesized, t tests showed that participants in the gestures condition had better teaching performance and lower cognitive load than participants in the no‐gestures condition, whereas there was no effect on stress level. In Experiment 2, participants recorded video lectures with either pointing gestures or representational gestures. The t tests indicated that participants in the pointing gestures condition showed better teaching performance and experienced lower stress than those in the representational gestures condition, but there was no difference in cognitive load. Overall, our findings suggest that in the new educational environment of video lectures, instructors should consider using gestures, especially pointing gestures, to improve their teaching and their experience of teaching. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic Instructors' gestures have benefits on learners' learning.Different types of gestures have different effect.Gestures can affect speaker's cognition. What this paper adds This study explored the effect of whether instructors' gestures and different types of gestures (pointing gestures and representational gestures) during recording instructional videos on their teaching.Instructors' gestures improved their teaching performance, induced cognitive load, and enhanced teaching efficacy.Instructors' pointing gestures were outperformed than representational gestures in teaching performance and stress level. Implications for practice and/or policy Instructors should consider using gestures when recording instructional videos, especially pointing gestures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Video lectures are being widely used in online and blended learning classes worldwide, and their learning effectiveness is becoming a focus of many educators and researchers. This study examined the cognitive load and learning effectiveness of video lectures in terms of the type of knowledge being taught (declarative or procedural) and instructor visibility. Video lectures with and without an instructor were used to teach each type of knowledge. Sixty Chinese undergraduates were randomly assigned to two of the four lectures. They completed a cognitive load questionnaire and learning tests after viewing the lectures. The results oft-tests revealed that adding the instructor in a video lecture increased learners’ cognitive load only when learning procedural knowledge; adding the instructor only facilitated declarative knowledge learning. The results suggest that the learning effectiveness of video lectures varies depending on the type of knowledge being taught and the presence or absence of an instructor. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Finding effective ways to improve students’ learning from video lectures will not only improve online education efficacy, it will also play an important role in the digital transformation of education. Generating written explanations has shown some benefits for learning, and peer presence may be an implementation-related boundary condition. This study tested the impacts of virtual peer presence (presence vs. absence) and generative tasks (generating explanations vs. no generation) on students’ learning in a video-based learning context. Students’ attention, meta-comprehension accuracy, motivation, cognitive load, learning achievements, and explanation characteristics were measured. Results showed some benefits of having a virtual peer, and of generating written explanations on students’ learning. Moreover, mediating analyses revealed the mediating role of motivation between peer presence and learning achievement, and moderated mediating analyses revealed the moderating role of explanation characteristics between peer presence and motivation. Our findings not only extend the understanding of the positive effects of generating written explanations in video-based learning contexts, they also provide implications for improving students’ learning from video lectures as well as optimizing online video lectures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]