#ExplainerVideos #QualityCriteria #EducationalMedia #Analysis #Research

Stefan T. Siegel

Within the workshop we will present, explore, and discuss a multidisciplinary, theory- and research-based tool on quality criteria for explainer videos. It covers a broad range of educational design, educational-psychological, film-analytical, and legal quality criteria and can be used for selecting, producing, analyzing, and evaluating these educational media. The tool and the workshop are primarily aimed at university instructors, educational designers, teacher trainers, teachers and educational staff at schools, higher education institutions, and companies.

1. The Rise and Relevance of Explainer Videos [1]

“Explainer videos are educational media that combine (often short) spoken explanations with visual representations to explain or demonstrate facts, concepts, or procedures. They aim to initiate learning processes and are used in formal and informal teaching and learning contexts” (Siegel, 2023, rough translation). These videos have become significantly more popular in recent years in (education) research and practice (Matthes et al., 2021). The internet market for explainer videos is growing on platforms such as YouTube or TikTok – which is reflected in the number of explainer video channels, the number of videos, their formats (e.g., animated short film, screencast), and their thematic breadth (Fey, 2021; Siegel et al., 2021).

2. Quality Criteria for Explainer Videos – A Theory- and Research-based Tool

To identify, classify, and assess the quality of explainer videos (and their providers), several overviews and checklists have been developed to date (e.g., Brame, 2016; Fey & Matthes, 2017; Kulgemeyer, 2020; or for explainer videos summarized by Siegel & Hensch, 2021; Ring & Brahm, 2022). Siegel and Hensch (2021) emphasize that the quality of educational videos can only be adequately assessed using multiple criteria and considering the perspectives of different disciplines. Although some quality criteria are more relevant than others depending on the content and type of video, a high-quality explainer video should ideally fulfill a variety of quality criteria to be assessed as a valuable educational medium (Siegel & Hensch, 2021).

The original version of the tool was developed by Ines Hensch and the author of this blog post in 2020 and has now been updated in 2023 together with Marcel Scherrer and Josef Buchner. The multidisciplinary tool of quality criteria for explainer videos by Siegel et al. (2023) covers a broad spectrum of educational design, educational-psychological, film-analytical, and legal quality criteria. Overall, it is theoretically and empirically well-founded by the international state of research on the quality of explainer videos and educational media.

3. Exploring and Using the Tool @ICMbeyond 2024

Overview: The tool currently comprises 20 quality criteria and 15 sub-criteria that can be used to select, produce, analyze, and evaluate explainer videos, but also for teaching about quality criteria for these videos.

Structure: It is divided into the stated categories and criteria, which can be viewed independently of each other depending on the user’s interests. Each area and each criterion are first explained and then some practical tips (yellow sticky notes) are given.

Target groups: The tool was specifically developed for university instructors, educational designers, teacher trainers, teachers and educational staff at schools, higher education institutions, and companies.

Further Information: More details on the theoretical background, structure and use of the tool can be found in Siegel & Hensch (2021).

Workshop Structure: Within the corresponding workshop at the ICMbeyond 2024 the participants will be introduced to the tool via the blog post (flipped classroom) and short introduction within the session. Participants will be empowered to share their experiences and thoughts on explainer videos and their quality. They are also encouraged to state which criteria are important to them and how they fit with presented criteria. Using the tool, the participants will analyze an example video to further develop suggestions for improvement. A presentation of the results, a joint discussion and reflections phase will conclude the workshop.

[1] This blog post builds on the publications by Siegel & Hensch (2021), Siegel (2023), and Siegel et al. (2023).