Abstract:

This is a case study of the video series "The Voice," an online video series supporting the academic journal Teachers College Record. "The Voice" consists of weekly 2-3 minute video episodes of academics presenting key findings from their published Teachers College Record article, a leading journal in the field of education. These videos are relatively similar in structure, and can be found on the homepage of Teachers College Record. Teachers College Record is one of the only academic journals currently using video as part of their publication strategy.

The case study includes qualitative data, such as interviews with viewers and themes from video content and structure; as well as quantitative data, such as video views and corresponding article views. Overarching questions guiding this case study include: how can video be used as a way to present research? What types of multimodal affordances, as well as limitations, does video offer in contrast with print-only communication? What are greater pedagogical implications of video for teaching and learning? How does the context of a video (i.e. website or hosting service) change viewing/discussion? Do viewers have a more social connection to the research from seeing the actual researcher?

Some preliminary conclusions from this case study include: videos featuring controversial scholars in the field have the highest number of views.
Interestingly, article views and "The Voice" episode views do not necessarily correlate, raising questions about what subjects are better suited for visual and multimodal presentations. This case study has the caveat that video is not a replacement for research papers, as soundbites and edited content are somewhat antithetical to academic research.

Keywords:

Video, research, multimodality.