Paths for integrating hypervideos into educational settings

Anh Thu Nguyen, Alberto Cattaneo

Swiss Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (SFIVET)
Via Besso 84, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland
anhthu.nguyen@iuffp-svizzera.ch, alberto.cattaneo@iuffp-svizzera.ch

Abstract. Nowadays, using hypervideos for learning purposes still remains limited to few experiences. We
conducted a review of research done so far, with a dual aim: to map the state of the art and identify new research
directions; to generate a useful tool for teachers to design instructional scenarios using hypervideos. Findings led
us to draw up a preliminary table which summarizes the hypervideo integration process in three stages. Different
combinations of these stages lead to several paths of integrating hypervideos into educational settings.

Keywords: hypervideo; instructional scenarios; vocational education and training.

Introduction: hypervideo in education
Despite the fact that the concept of hypervideo exists since the early days of hypertext, it has not yet
progressed as expected even though technical aspects which used to be a limitation are nowadays
mainly solved (Tiellet, Pereira, Reategui, Lima, & Chambel, 2010): using hypervideo for learning
purposes still remains limited to few experiences. We refer to hypervideo as video based hypermedia
that combines nonlinear information structuring and dynamic audio-visual information presentation
(Zahn, 2006, p. 285); in this text, concepts as video annotation, sometimes used as a synonym of
hypervideo, have been considered as possible uses of hypervideos, but not the primary one.
We conducted a literature review of the use of hypervideo in education, with a dual aim: on one
hand, for the research community, to map the state of the art and identify new research directions
worthy of further investigation; on the other hand, to generate a useful tool for teachers to design
lessons integrating hypervideo.

Method
We proceeded in two parallel ways. On one side, we looked for experiences illustrated in the
scientific literature. First, searches in electronic databases using descriptors including hypervideo and
interactive video were made. We specifically sought for experiences of using hypervideo for learning
purposes; we excluded purely technological and structural contributions. Databases used included
ERIC, PsychINFO, PSYNDEX and Google Scholar. By means of authors name and references cited,
further research was carried out. Up to now, the searches yielded a total of 73 articles. Out of these, 33
were identified for review: non-empirical articles or unrelated to the subject were not included.
Theoretical framework, methods, measures and basic findings were outlined. On the other side, we
referred to the first uses of hypervideo carried out within the project Scuolavisione
(www.scuolavisione.ch), which aims to enable Swiss Vocational Education and Training (VET)
teachers to customize and structure didactical material for their own activities, by adding interactivity
to existing or new footage. The integration of the two paths enabled us to outline a preliminary
framework setting out the main steps in the adoption of hypervideos for learning purposes.

Findings
The review confirmed lack of research on didactical uses of hypervideo. Findings highlighted different
uses of hypervideo authoring tools, which can be subdivided in two categories. In the first one,
teachers typically exploit hypervideos to communicate specific contents, face to face or as a task to be
done by pupils at home (e.g. Chambel, Zahn, & Finke, 2006; Merkt, Weigand, Heier, & Schwan,


2011; Schwan & Riemp, 2004; Tiellet, et al., 2010); in the second one, the tool is assigned to students
as a collaborative task, including the possibility of the search or production of videos on a given topic
to be transformed into hypervideos (e.g. Stahl, Zahn, & Finke, 2005; Zahn, 2006). Based on these
experiences as well as on logic too , the first condition for integrating hypervideos in teachers
instructional scenarios is, obviously, to have it. Differently stated, an important step consists in the
construction of the hypervideo, but to set it up is necessary to have a raw video to be enriched. As
happens in Scuolavisione, teachers can both select a piece of video from existing footage and/or create
a video from scratch. The latter can be done by recording real or reconstructed/simulated activities. As
a consequence, three main steps have been identified, which in turn can be done both by teachers and
by students: 1) Choosing or recording a raw video, 2) Constructing the hypervideo and 3) Integrating
the hypervideo in instructional scenarios.
Based on collected data both gathered on the field and by reviewing existing literature we drew
up a preliminary table (Figure 1) which summarizes the hypervideo integration process in three stages
and distinguishes actors involved. As mentioned, the first step consists in identifying a raw video,
which can be from existing footage or produced both by teachers (box A) and by students, alone (B) or
as a group activity (C). The second step concerns the construction of hypervideos, which can be done
by teachers (D), or proposed to students as an individual (E) or collective (F) learning by design
activity. Finally, the hypervideo can be used in many modalities: directly controlled by teachers as a
support for their lessons (G), or manipulated by students, who can interact with it individually (H) or
in groups (I) without any external intervention. The combination of these possibilities generates
several paths of integrating hypervideos in learning activities.


Figure 1: Integrating hypervideos in instructional scenarios
So far, research focused for the most part on the area B-C-E-F. In most cases, students are asked to
select and film sequences to accomplish the task given by the teacher. Subsequently, they are also
involved in designing and constructing the hypervideo (e.g. Guimares, Chambel, & Bidarra, 2000;
Stahl, et al., 2005). In other experiments, a specific video is selected by researchers/teachers and given
to students for them to propose where and which kind of interactive materials to insert (boxes A and
E). Rather than didactical activities (Cherrett, Wills, Price, Maynard, & Dror, 2009), the latter are
intended as tests of principles for the construction of multimedia contents (Zahn, Barquero & Schwan,
2004). Other cases showed that teachers chose videos on specific topics, added interactivity and gave
hypervideos to students for self-learning (path A-D-H). Students can stop, forward, rewind the video
and access interactive contents according to their needs (e.g. Chambel, et al., 2006; Debevc, afari, &
Golob, 2008; Merkt, et al., 2011; Schwan & Riemp, 2004; Tiellet, et al., 2010).
Collected information showed that most of existing research doesnt cover paths where hypervideos
are directly used by teachers (box G). So, we tested two more paths (A-D-G and B-D-G), where
teachers construct hypervideos (D), using either existing or recorded footage - by themselves (A) or by
students (B) -, and use them as a support in face-to-face lessons (G). Hypervideos used by groups of
students (I) to acquire knowledge still remain rare in the literature.


Conclusions
Overall, the table enabled us to differentiate between creating hypervideos as learning activities or as
training aids. In the first case, designing hypervideos is part of the instructional scenario. Learning
objectives are therefore not focused on the final product, but more on the development of social skills,
such as communicating and collaborating with other students, as well as selecting appropriate
materials to be linked in the video. In the second case, hypervideos are educational resources, created
by teachers to convey information. This distinction led us to realize that using hypervideos for
educational purposes does not always require paths with all three steps presented so far. The
combination depends on the purpose. Consequently, using hypervideos could be constituted for
example by two steps only, e.g. the first and the second (learning activities focused on producing
hypervideos) or the second and the third (existing hypervideos are modified or adapted for a specific
objective), or even by a unique single step, e.g. the third one (existing finished hypervideos can be re-
used). The table represents a first theoretical tool, which organizes existing information. The next
steps consist in giving it to researchers and teachers for them 1. to validate it in practice, as well as 2.
to identify under which conditions hypervideos can be effectively integrated in instructional scenarios
for VET.

Acknowledgements to Carmela Aprea for the precious suggestions to improve this text.

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