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This study aimed to test the benefit of note-taking on pauses and learning in online educational videos. Participants (N = 72) were randomly assigned to one of two note-taking conditions (allowed or not) with the possibility to take pauses during a 10-minute online instructional video on the autonomic nervous system. The results did not reveal a significant correlation between note-taking and the number of pauses. Moreover, we observed no significant effect of note-taking on learning performance. However, prior knowledge and age affected significantly the relationship between pauses, note-taking and learning performance. We discuss the importance of prior knowledge and age for future research.

During class, taking notes helps the encoding process, especially when students reformulate what is presented. After class, notes can be used for revision. Previous studies, mostly conducted in laboratory contexts, showed that note-taking on paper seems to be more efficient than on computer, probably because students are more likely to reformulate on paper. The originality of this study is to investigate students’ perceptions and strategies depending on their note-taking method during but also after class. Data of 108 students showed that students on paper (30%) declare making more reformulations and less multitasking that students on computer (70%). After class, review sheets are written for a large majority of the students on paper, whatever the method they used during class. These results suggest that even if computer is the most used method during class, paper is still used after class, and with paper are associated better strategies.

Learning processes are impacted by individuals’ capabilities (e.g., working memory capacity). Nowadays, the technological improvements like those promised by deep learning methods open new opportunities to adapt learning environments. However, studies using the abilities of these models to individualize learning remain currently rare. The current research project aims to tackle one of the major constraints imposed by video learning related to the transitory aspect of delivered information. The purpose is to individualize the learning, based on learners working memory capacity (WMC).To this end, several elements need to be taken into account: (1) How to automatically and efficiently evaluate WMC without impacting learning; (2) Analyze in details the actual effect of WMC on video learning; (3) Get the most efficient and acceptable solutions to reduce the effects of WMC.

Background: Taking notes during learning has benefits both during class (through writing things down to encode information) and after class (by using written notes as external storage for revision). Comparisons of note‐taking methods (i.e., using paper or a computer) have mainly shown that paper leads to better learning. However, previous studies have mostly been conducted in laboratory contexts. Aims: The current study investigates university students' perceptions of the efficacity of their own preferred note‐taking method, along with the strategies they employ. Sample: Data were collected from 108 university students. Methods: Students answered a questionnaire about their note‐taking strategies during initial note‐taking (in class) and revision (after class). Results: The results show that students who take notes on paper do not consider their method to be more effective, but they report engaging in more reformulation and less multitasking. Students who take notes on a computer are more likely to reformat their notes, and thus to reformulate at a later stage. For all students, review sheets are mostly done on paper. Conclusions: These results suggest that although students are not necessarily aware of the benefits of reformulation associated with handwriting on paper during initial note‐taking, when revising, they tend to choose handwriting and benefit from reformulation when aiming for deeper processing. Therefore, revision activities remain mainly paper‐based. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Learning from videos is becoming an important part of educational activities, but video content may be difficult to process, mainly because its organization is not very salient in this medium. The learner's organization process should be enhanced by (1) displaying the structure (ie, table of contents) in the video‐based environment, and (2) proposing interactivity tools (interactive table of contents and cued timeline) to use this structure in a more efficient way. A total of 57 participants (higher education students) were divided into three groups (no table of contents, table of contents, and interactive table of contents) to assess the effects of displaying a structure on learning outcomes and behaviours. Results showed that tables of contents boosted topic recall, and interactivity allowed learners to perform more relevant reviewing behaviours. However, reviewing behaviours appear to be broadly timeline‐driven, and learners did not actively use the interactive table of contents. No significant effect was found on other learning outcomes (ie, content memorization and comprehension). One suggestion is that a table of contents, especially when it is interactive, can be an organizational aid during the construction of a mental model, but learners may underestimate its usefulness. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Educational videos are increasingly being used for learningAccording to the cognitive theory of multimedia learning, organizing incoming information is essential for learningIn written documents, a table of contents may serve as an organizational aidIn information‐seeking tasks, an interactive table of contents improves localization.What this paper adds Adding a table of contents to a video may promote topic recall, but not content learning.An interactive table of contents may enhance consultation strategies (eg, reviewing information).Learners tend to use timelines, rather than tables of contents, to navigate videos.Implications for practice When designing an educational video, adding an interactive table of contents may enhance the quality of learning.Different strategies seem to be employed by learners, with some of them displaying no reviewing behaviours at all.Learners may underestimate the usefulness of the table of contents, so it may be necessary to encourage then to use it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of e-learning, and more specifically MOOCs, searching for information in videos is becoming a key activity in education. Many studies have focused on learning in video-based environments, but to our knowledge, they have left aside the question of search tasks. We hypothesized that information-seeking activity can be improved by adapting features of the learning environment, more particularly by providing micro- and/or macroscaffolding. To test this hypothesis, we assessed the effects of presentation during a search activity in a video-based environment. A total of 80 students were divided into four groups, then exposed to a video 1) with or without a table of contents (macroscaffolding), and 2) with or without markers in the timeline (microscaffolding). Results showed that micro- and macroscaffolding both have positive effects on search outcomes, but also that they need to be used in combination to improve search times. One possible interpretation is that, in the absence of scaffolding, users have to compensate by constructing their own mental representations of the video segmentation, which is cognitively very costly and highly time consuming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

University students often engage in multimedia (e.g., texting or social networks) and nonmultimedia (e.g., chatting with neighbors) off-task multitasking behaviors during courses. The aim of the present study was to describe these off-task multitasking behaviors and analyze their effects on learning performance in a real teaching session. More specifically, 187 students attended a cognitive psychology tutorial as usual, taking notes either on paper or on a laptop. In an effort to preserve the ecological setting, they were not informed of our research on multitasking. After 20 min, students had to report the number and duration of off-task multitasking behaviors they had engaged in and complete a learning questionnaire. Results showed that multimedia and nonmultimedia multitasking behaviors were frequent but also additive, especially among students who used a laptop. These behaviors had a negative impact on students' memorization of course content, although we found no significant effects on comprehension. Our study also showed that students who used a laptop had lower memory scores. A mediation analysis confirmed that this deleterious effect was partly attributable to multitasking. These results are discussed in terms of interference between off-task behaviors and the cognitive processes essential for learning. • We studied off-task multitasking effects on learning in a real-life teaching session. • Students engaged in numerous multimedia and nonmultimedia multitasking behaviors. • Multitasking behaviors had a negative impact on the memorization of lecture content. • Students who used a laptop engaged in more multitasking and had lower memory scores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]