Date of Award

2025

Document Type

Open Access Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Cognitive Science and Human Factors (PhD)

Administrative Home Department

Department of Psychology and Human Factors

Advisor 1

Kelly Steelman

Committee Member 1

Erich Petushek

Committee Member 2

Shari Stockero

Committee Member 3

John Gruver

Abstract

Instructional video has proliferated recently due to the explosion in popularity of TikTok and YouTube. However, most videos are not developed using principles derived from research and instructional design theories that have been tested with content presented in other types of media (de Konig et al., 2018). Many of these principles are based on the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning, including research on the seductive detail effect; seductive details are “interesting but irrelevant details that are added to a passage to make it more interesting” and have been shown to harm learning (Harp & Mayer, 1997). This has motivated the coherence principle, indicating that learning is more effective when extraneous materials are excluded. Instructional videos by well-known influencers on TikTok and YouTube appear to rely on extraneous content to maintain viewer interest and engagement; it is unclear how effective they are in terms of learning. This dissertation begins with a history of video in education and a theoretical background of the educational concepts around multimedia learning. Study 1 and Study 3 examine learning with instructional videos created by two prominent social media content creators. In both cases, performance was compared to that from videos with matched content but without seductive details; these videos more closely held to best practices supporting the coherence principle. Study 2 surveyed participants’ instructional video preferences and examined the effect of motivation on their preferences and behavior. In studies 1 and 3, material traditionally considered extraneous did not impair learning outcomes and may have contributed to increased engagement. In Study 1, seductive details were noticed and increased extraneous load, but did not hinder recall or transfer. In Study 3, the TikTok-style videos violated the coherence principle, but were rated more favorably and preferred by participants, with no negative impact on recall or transfer. Study 2 revealed that motivation had a clear influence on how learners interacted with instructional videos. These results suggest that the coherence principle should be weighed against learner engagement and motivational factors. Rather than viewing all non-essential content as detrimental, instructional designers may need to distinguish between “distracting” and “motivating” extraneous content, especially in learner-driven or informal learning environments. The dissertation concludes with recommendations for creating instructional videos.

Download

Share

COinS