Design of EFL Learning Videos: Strategies and Verification from Multiple Perspectives

Abstract

In a time when information and communication technologies are widely applied for educational purposes, developing high-quality online learning videos has become a crucial work to successfully run a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). This study takes MOOC videos developed by the National University of Defense Technology as a case to investigate the design of learning videos for English as a Foreign Language. The paper generalizes the design strategies embodied in the development process of the MOOC videos from the perspectives of content, cognitive load, visual attention and social presence. A quasi-experiment study was conducted to examine the efficacy of the videos. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey and interview. The results show that the videos could provide more favorable content, help enhance perceived social presence and better direct visual attention, but might not lower cognitive load. Implications are further discussed for better learning outcomes with the videos.