Learner Engagement with Instructor-Generated Video

Abstract: The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the use of technology in HRD and education. Advocates argue that it is cost-effective and flexible. Critics argue that it may diminish levels of engagement and ‘deep learning’. Effective video resources are assumed to promote learner engagement but the extent to which this occurs is unclear.
This study examines learners’ engagement with instructor-generated video in a UK Higher Education setting. Using mixed methods, it provides a practical synthesis of qualitative focus group and quantitative data from a Business School Virtual Learning Environment platform. The purpose of the study is to examine to what extent, and how, learners engage with instructor-generated video resources provided as part of their course.
The study addresses each of the accepted dimensions of learner engagement: (1) behavioural; (2) cognitive; (3) affective. Findings identify patterns of learner control over the use of video that are distinctive from assumptions instructors may hold. Findings indicate complex, nuanced patterns of cognitive and affective engagement. Video can have positive effect but inappropriate technical features may result in learner disengagement. The study contributes a new perspective to HRD research into learner engagement that challenges instructors’ assumptions. It indicates that instructor signaling concerning relevance, focus and utility is necessary for cognitive engagement. It identifies a need for research into the disengagement consequences of video technology affordances and theory development which locates e-learning and learning theory in its sociotechnical context.