Abstract:

This paper deals with the medium of film/video as a learning tool. The starting point of our investigation is a self-designed experimental video, which is provided with the following design elements: narration/presentation, animation, interaction, practical application examples, and a fictional embedded story. The study is based on a mixture of methods consisting of a quantitative and a qualitative survey. The aim of the quantitative survey is to examine the influence of the experimental video on learning success, on the one hand, and on learning motivation on the other. For this purpose, 106 students are asked about their level of knowledge and their motivation to learn at three different points: once before they see the experimental video, once immediately afterwards, and once three months later. The study showed significant results in terms of learning success and learning motivation after watching the experimental video. In order to further investigate which design elements positively influenced learning motivation, a qualitative survey was carried out with 25 students engaging in group discussions. The results show that the students do not need sensory overload when learning, but rather structured step-by-step learning with feedback and summarization. By comparison, the narration/presentation, interactions, and the fictional parallel story in the experimental video were rated highest. Finally, recommendations for the didactic and audiovisual design of videos made for teaching/learning are derived from the results of the current expectations of the students and from the evaluation of the individual design elements.

Keywords:

Educational sciences, adult education, higher education, knowledge transfer, film, video.