Transforming the Traditional Textbook Into Engaging Microlearning Videos

Concurrent Session 9

Session Materials

Brief Abstract

In today’s curated-content world, we should develop course materials aimed at maximizing student engagement.  This session will introduce participants to an active project aimed at developing affordable, customized, video-based microlearning course materials, with the goals of increasing student engagement and eventually replacing the traditional textbook.

Presenters

Lead Presenter: Scott Collins, Pennsylvania State University

Co-presenter: Renee Ford, Pennsylvania State University - University Park

Renee Ford is a learning designer at Penn State’s Smeal College of Business. She is the lead designer of numerous hybrid and online programs and courses offered at the Smeal College of Business in University Park, PA and at Penn State’s World Campus, globally. Her portfolio includes courses that range in size from under 50 students to over 2000 students and are delivered to over 5000 Penn State students per year. Renee completed her Ph.D. in Education at Penn State in 2015. Her dissertation researched factors that influence leadership effectiveness. She has a background in teaching and learning, training, human resource development, and organization development and is passionate about design, innovation, and educational equity. Renee believes that teaching and learning experiences, when designed well, provide opportunities for students and instructors to participate in excellent, engaging learning experiences that meet the needs of diverse learners.

Extended Abstract

In today’s curated content world, social media sites are filled with “how to” videos aimed at grabbing the attention of viewers who are searching for an efficient way to learn a new skill.  Our students are increasingly turning to these social media sites to help supplement – or even replace – the textbook, as well as  video and lesson content that we are asking them to read and watch.  The problem?  We are expecting that our students will faithfully read the lengthy chapters from our chosen textbooks and we are also presuming that our students will commit to watching the long PowerPoint videos that we have personally created, often with only our own voiceover audio to help keep them engaged along the way.

Oh, the humanity!  There has to be a better approach.

In this session, we will explore what we propose is a better approach based on video analytics, student feedback, and current research that the presenters (the course professor and instructional designer) have reviewed. This session will introduce participants to an active project that is aimed at developing video-based microlearning course materials, with the goals of increasing student engagement and eventually replacing the traditional textbook (and, therefore, decreasing student cost).

Using anecdotal evidence from a large-enrollment course at Penn State University’s Smeal College of Business, participants will learn about a multi-year transformation of course materials from a traditional textbook to video-based microlearning content.  Participants will also learn about plans to transform the content for an accounting analytics course into a video-based microlearning resource.  Analytical results and opportunities for Open Educational Resource pathways will also be discussed during the session.