A scoping review of the literature on embodied instructional videos

Abstract

Although it is prevalent to use embodied modes of information (e.g., instructors’ movements and gestures) in instructional videos, there is a lack of comprehensive review elucidating how this type of information is designed and investigated in research studies. This scoping review of the literature examined 55 empirical research articles with 71 separate studies regarding embodied instructional videos to reveal their characteristics and design factors and provide key findings regarding their effects. The results revealed that most videos included slides for the lecture and demonstration of science subjects. The following design factors were determined in embodied instructional videos: instructor demeanor, instructor visual presence, generative activities, learner characteristics, content, instructional media, and scene. The findings regarding their influence on learning supported existing embodiment principles. They also uncovered the contributing or moderating effect of instructors’ deictic gestures, facial expressions, and intimate behaviors, students’ prior knowledge and actions during learning, and the complexity of the video subject. Overall, this review provides helpful information for practitioners based on empirical evidence and indicates research gaps in the literature on embodied instructional videos.