Video speeding can be efficient and speeding-induced preference cost can be lessened by selective speeding.

Abstract

Over the past decade, screen-captured instructional videos have become popular tools for learning. Viewers wanting to learn efficiently can play these videos at faster-than-normal speeds, a feature offered by hosting services such as YouTube. Although previous research suggests that moderate speeding may not lessen learning, little research has tested this form of media for speeding-induced learning impairments. Further, even if learning is not impaired by speeding, the degree to which users find speed increases taxing and/or unpleasant is unknown. We therefore created a set of screen-captured instructional videos and tested whether speeding them by up to 250% affected learning, perceived workload, and preferences. Speed increases of up to 200% minimally affected learning, but even modest 150% speed increases substantially increased perceived workload and reduced viewer preferences. However, we were able to create videos that were more selectively speeded by concentrating speeding on pauses and relatively unimportant and slow speech. These videos were just as time efficient as the 150% speeded videos, but viewers preferred them. Our findings demonstrate that speeded instructional videos have the potential to facilitate efficient learning, and they suggest techniques such as selective speeding that may be used to support efficiency while lessening viewer preference costs.

The effects of lecture speed and note‐taking on memory for educational material

“…Moreover, graphics and animations remain static but are presented for a shorter period of time. While these conditions may make learning more challenging or unpleasant (see Ritzhaupt et al, 2015; Wright et al, 2022), students seem to hold mixed opinions about what lecture speeds are optimal for learning. Survey data collected from a sample of 204 undergraduate students revealed that accelerated lecture videos were viewed as useful and superior to 1x speed lectures on measures of speed of knowledge acquisition, their ability to stay focused, and their ability to retain information (Cardall et al, 2008).…”