Like it or learn from it: Effects of talking heads in educational videos

When considering the inclusion of a visible instructor into educational videos, theory and prior research point to both advantages and disadvantages and suggest potential interactions with other design features of educational videos. Therefore, we conducted an online experiment in which N = 112 participants watched eight short videos with narrated slides on different topics, using a within-design to vary talking head (present vs. absent), slide type (graphic vs. text), and presentation type (sequential fade-in vs. static). We investigated effects of these design features on learning outcomes (factual knowledge), learners' ratings of the videos (e.g., perceived learning, satisfaction), and selection behaviour. Results revealed worse learning outcomes for videos with talking head, while participants rated their perceived learning higher for those videos with talking head. Further, participants indicated higher satisfaction for videos with talking head and selected them more frequently when choosing between different formats. Potential explanations for the findings and directions for future research are discussed.