Videos Outperform Text in Student Learning, Especially for Struggling Readers: New Research
A new study reveals that students retain more details and experience less mental strain when learning from videos compared to reading traditional illustrated texts, a finding with significant implications for educators grappling with declining literacy rates.
Recent research conducted by Mikko Haavisto and colleagues,and initially highlighted by educator Larry ferlazzo,directly addresses a long-standing debate: which learning method is more effective – text with images or well-produced video? The findings,published in Learning and instruction,suggest a clear advantage for video,particularly for students who struggle with reading.
The study involved fifth and sixth-grade students in Finland who learned about scientific topics, including climate change, through both illustrated texts and videos containing the exact same spoken content. Crucially, the research took place in real-world classroom settings, enhancing its relevance and validity compared to many laboratory-based studies.
The results were striking.Students demonstrated better recall after watching the videos and reported a lower cognitive load – a measure of mental effort required to process information. This benefit was especially pronounced for students with weaker reading or decoding skills. “The less fluently you read, the greater the profit from a video,” the research indicates.
This trend may be linked to a broader decline in reading proficiency among young peopel.Researchers noted the concerning trend of declining scores on the Program for International Student assessment (PISA),with 15-year-olds now reading at the level of 14-year-olds from a decade ago. Videos can offer a valuable bridge, making content more accessible, but this presents a paradox. They are effective because reading has become more challenging, and therefore more cognitively demanding.
However,the study cautions against a wholesale shift away from text. While videos didn’t hinder strong readers, the research found the learning effect was limited primarily to information retention, not the ability to apply knowledge in novel situations. Furthermore, text remains essential for developing reading skills and building a foundation of knowledge over time.
Interestingly, even after being allowed to consult the learning materials during an initial assessment, students consistently performed better on questions related to content learned through video a week later. This suggests videos may not just be easier to understand, but also more efficient for long-term retention. Researchers hypothesize this could be due to the pacing and attention-grabbing nature of video content.
The research team acknowledges that further investigation is needed. The role of language comprehension wasn’t specifically measured,and the study focused solely on natural science
