multimedia-learning
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- PaperBritish Journal of Educational Technology13 May 2026
Correcting automatically generated closed captions for online learning materials does not improve student learning outcomes (although students believe it does)
Peter J. Allen, Polly Barr, Kristopher G. Magee, Imogen van Jaarsveldt et al.
A block-randomized experiment with 144 undergraduate students compared learning outcomes from lecture capture recordings with uncorrected, corrected, or no captions. Quiz performance showed trivial differences across conditions, indicating that correcting auto-generated captions does not improve learning. Students self-reported benefits from captions and preferred corrected ones, though they did not always notice the difference.
Original abstract
Lecture capture is ubiquitous in higher education. Lecture capture recordings are typically accompanied by automatically generated closed captions that are sometimes corrected by humans. Students self‐report that they benefit from captions, and particularly human‐corrected captions. However, multimedia learning research suggests that simultaneous spoken and written information impairs learning. Experimental tests of the pedagogic benefits of captions in authentic higher education learning contexts are sparse. Consequently, we block randomised 144 undergraduate psychology students to 12 sets of lecture capture recordings with uncorrected, corrected or no captions then assessed their understanding of these materials with 12 quizzes. Our pre‐registered analyses indicated that the differences between conditions were trivial ( M η 2 = 0.01; | M | δ = 0.12) and that the captioning conditions to which students were randomised did not influence their quiz performance. Follow‐up surveys re‐confirmed that students believe captions are beneficial for multiple reasons (eg, improved comprehension and focus; study efficiency; accessibility), and prefer corrected over uncorrected captions, even though they do not always notice the difference. As they do not impair learning, do meet accessibility requirements and are valued by students, automatically generated captions should be used routinely. However, correcting them may not reflect an optimal use of resources. Practitioner notes What is already known about this topic Closed captions are widely used by young people, who self‐report that they benefit from captions on lecture capture recordings. Multimedia learning research indicates that simultaneous spoken and written information can impair learning. Little is known about the pedagogic benefits of captions in authentic higher education learning contexts. Even less is known about the consequences of small but regular errors in automatically generated captions, despite the widespread use of such captions in higher education. What this paper adds We randomised students to 12 sets of lecture capture recordings with uncorrected, corrected or no captions, then assessed their learning with 12 quizzes. The captioning manipulation did not influence quiz performance. Students self‐reported that captions are beneficial and preferred corrected over uncorrected captions, even though they did not always notice the difference. Implications for practice and/or policy Captions help universities meet accessibility guidelines and are valued by students. Automatically generated captions should be used routinely. Manually correcting them may not reflect a good use of resources.
- PaperLanguage Learning & Technology1 Jan 2026
The role of arousal in L2 readers’ engagement and comprehension during pedagogical agent–guided online reading
Jack Drobisz, Sanghoon Park, Glenn Smith
This study manipulated four arousal conditions of pedagogical agent-guided online reading materials to examine their effects on L2 readers' situational interest, cognitive load, and comprehension. Results showed that inquiry arousal significantly influenced germane cognitive load and reading comprehension, and interacted with perceptual arousal on germane cognitive load. The findings highlight inquiry arousal as a key design consideration for pedagogical agent-guided reading tasks.
Original abstract
Reading comprehension is essential for second language (L2) learners’ academic success, yet many struggle in English–speaking schools due to their various backgrounds and limited lexical knowledge. Prior research highlights the importance of attitude and motivation in promoting the use of reading strategies, but little work has examined how multimedia design can support these factors. In this study, we designed four arousal conditions of pedagogical agent–guided online reading materials in which four pedagogical agents induced two types of arousal (perceptual vs. inquiry) in two levels (high vs. low) through the manipulation of their background images, gestures, voices, and delivered messages. Using a randomized 2 x 2 factorial design, we examined how the study conditions influenced L2 readers’ situational interest, cognitive load and reading comprehension. A total of 157 L2 readers participated in the study and were randomly assigned to one of the four conditions. Two–way ANOVA results revealed significant main effects of inquiry arousal on germane cognitive load and reading comprehension, as well as an interaction between inquiry and perceptual arousal on germane cognitive load. These findings suggest that inquiry arousal is a key design consideration for pedagogical agent–guided reading tasks for L2 learners.