Online learning is increasingly prevalent as an option for self- learning and as a resource for instructional design. Prere- corded video is currently the main medium of online ed- ucation content delivery and instruction; this affords asyn- chronicity and flexibility, and enables the dissemination of lecture content in a distributed and scalable manner. How- ever, the same properties may impede learners’ engagement due to the lack of social interaction and peer support. In this paper, we propose a time-anchored commenting inter- face to allow online learners who watch the same video clips to exchange comments on them. Comments left by previ- ous learners at specific time points of a video are displayed to new learners when they watch the same video and reach those time points. We investigated how the display of time- anchored comments (dynamic or static) and type of comments (content-related or social-oriented) influenced users’ perceived engagement, perceived social interactivity, and learning outcomes. Our results show that dynamically dis- playing time-anchored comments can indeed enhance learners’ perceived social interactivity. Moreover, the content of comments would further affect learners’ intention of commenting. Based on our findings, we make various recommendations for the improvement of social interaction and learning experience in online education.

1. Using Time-Anchored Peer Comments
to Enhance Social Interaction in
Online Educational Videos
Yi-Chieh Lee, Wen-Chieh Lin, Fu-Yin Cherng, Hao-Chuan Wang,
Ching-Ying Sung, Jung-Tai King
National Chiao Tung University, National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan

2. Online Education
1

3. Online Education
Self Education
2

4. Online Education
Flipped ClassroomSelf Education
In Class
Out of Class
2

5. Online Education
• Lack of Social Interaction
• Hinder Learning Performance
[cf. Kizilcec et al., 2014; Abrami, P. C et al., 2001;27]
3

6. Synchronous Asynchronous
Discussion BoardChatroom
4

7. Asynchronous
Discussion BoardChatroom
Lack of Deep Reflection
Various Time Zone
Lack of Immediate Feedback
Few Learner Engagement
Synchronous
[cf. Huang, J et al., 2014; Branon, R. F et al., 2001] 4

8. Asynchronous
Discussion BoardChatroom
Lack of Deep Reflection
Various Time Zone
Lack of Immediate Feedback
Few Learner Engagement
Synchronous
[cf. Huang, J et al., 2014; Branon, R. F et al., 2001]
Time-Anchored Comment

9. Time-Anchored Comment
5

10. Time-Anchored Commenting
I feel …
5
Time-Anchored Comment

11. Time-Anchored Commenting
I feel …
5
Time-Anchored Comment

12. Time-Anchored Commenting
5
Time-Anchored Comment

13. Time-Anchored Commenting
I feel …
5
Time-Anchored Comment

14. 6

15. Online Education
6

16. +
Time-Anchored
Comment
Online Educational
Video
7

17. Experiment
7
+
Time-Anchored
Comment
Online Educational
Video

18. Research Hypotheses
Experiment
+
Time-Anchored
Comment
Online Educational
Video
7

19. Research Hypothesis #1
Time-anchored comments enhance perceived
engagement.
8
This effect is more marked as the number of
content-related comments increases.

20. Dynamically displaying comments enhance
perceived social interactivity and make
learners leave more comments.
Research Hypothesis #2
8

21. Content-related comments result in better
learning outcomes than social-oriented
comments.
Research Hypothesis #3
8

22. Experimental Design
Stage A
• 50 Participants
• Complete 3 Course Videos Online
• Collect Comments
9

23. Stage BStage A
• 50 Participants
• Complete 3 Course Videos Online
• Collect Comments
Course Number of Comments
Neural Science 430
Economics 420
Philosophy 427
Experimental Design
10

24. • 52 Participants
• Complete 3 Course Videos in Lab
• Factors: Comment Type & Display Type
Stage B
Experimental Design
11

25. Comment Type
Social-OrientedContent-Related
“Law of demand: …”
“The instructor could
speak slowly.”
(Economics Course) (Neural Science Course)
12
Note, Question,
Opinion…
Off-topic conversation,
Joke,…

26. Display Type
13

27. Comment Type X Display Type
Experiment Conditions
14

28. Dynamic
Content-related
Dynamic
Social-oriented
Static
Content-related
Static
Social-oriented
Baseline
No Comment
Experiment Conditions
Comment Type X Display Type
14

29. Experiment Conditions
Dynamic
Content-related
Dynamic
Social-oriented
Static
Content-related
Static
Social-oriented
Baseline
No Comment
Comment Type X Display Type
Measure Participants’ Experience
14

30. Measure
• After Watching Video
Questionnaire
Perceived Social Interactivity
I feel attached to these people who
interact on this video course
Perceived Engagement
I was so involved in this course
that I lost track of time.
[cf. O’Brien, H. L. et al., 2010]
[cf. Zhang, S. et al., 2011;Granovetter, M. et al., 1983.]
15
Strongly
Disagree
Strongly
Agree

31. • Pretest & Posttest
• Questions From
Course Content
Learning Outcomes
What is Reward System?
Please give a brief explanation.
(Neural Science Course)
”
What is Law of Demand?
Please give a brief explanation.
(Economics Course)
”
Measure
16

32. Experiment Procedure
Pretest
17

33. Experiment Procedure
Pretest
5 Conditions
17
Randomly assigned to
each participant with
equal probability

34. Experiment Procedure
Pretest
Posttest
Questionnaire
17

35. Experiment Procedure
Pretest
Posttest
Questionnaire
Interview
17

36. Results

37. Whether time-anchored comments made
the learners perceive more engagement?

38. MeanScore
No Comment
*
Comments enhanced perceived
engagement.
18
Time-Anchored Comments
2.74
3.45 3.38 3.14 3.38

39. What is the influence of display type on
participants’ perceived social interactivity?

40. Dynamic Static
MeanScore
*
19
Dynamic display enhanced perceived
social interactivity.
3.57
3.23

41. Whether time-anchored comments could
help participants to learn better?

42. No
Comment
Dynamic
Content
Dynamic
Social
Static
Content
Static
Social
52.4%
66.7% 67.0% 70.0% 65.5%
MeanScoreofPosttest
20
Comments didn’t hinder learning
outcomes.

43. [cf. Anderson, T. et al., 2008; Bransford, J. D. et al., 2000]
*
No
Comment
Dynamic
Content
Dynamic
Social
Static
Content
Static
Social
52.4%
70.0%
MeanScoreofPosttest
21
Statically displaying content-related
comments enhanced learning
outcomes.

44. How the experimental factors influence the
participants’ commenting behaviors?

45. No Comment Dynamic Static
NumberofComment
1.1
7.8 8
22
Display Type didn’t affect intention to
leave comments.

46. Social Content
NumberofComment
1.1
9.4
6.4
*
No Comment
23
Social-oriented comments increased
intention to leave comment.

47. NumberofComment
No
Comment
Dynamic
Content
Dynamic
Social
Static
Content
Static
Social
Social-
oriented
Content-
related
1.1
2.8
5
3.6
4.4
1.3
0.4
1.7 1.6 1.5
24
Social-oriented comments didn’t
distract learners from leaving content-
related comments.

48. Design Implications
Perceived
Engagement
Perceived Social
Interactivity
Comment
Number
Learning
Outcomes

49. Design Implication #1
Video-centered, time-anchored comments
exchange supports collaborative learning.
Time-Anchored CommentsNo
Comment
Time-Anchored CommentsNo
Comment
25
*
*
Perceived EngagementLearning Outcomes

50. Design Implication #1
Dopamine? Dopamine is…
“Some users noted the important or complex
contents of the courses, and I can read these
notes after watching the course video.” (S2)
26

51. Design Implication #2
Social-oriented comments are desirable.
Comment number left by participants
Social ContentNo Comment
27

52. Design Implication #2
”There are lots of interesting comments in the
video. I’d like to read and respond to those
comments when I feel something is boring in the
courses.” (S15)
28
Social-
oriented

53. Conclusion
29
Dynamic display enhanced
perceived social interactivity.
Display comments enhanced
perceived engagement.

54. Conclusion
30
Dynamic display enhanced
perceived social interactivity.
Display comments enhanced
perceived engagement.

55. Acknowledgement
101-2628- E-009-021-MY3, 102-2221-E-009-082-MY3, 102-2221-E-
007-073-MY3, and UST-UCSD
Taiwan Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST)
International Center of Excellence in Advanced
Bioengineering Taiwan MOST I-RiCE Program
103-2911-I-009-101
Anonymous Reviewers
For insightful comments

56. Limitation
Lab Setting Experiment
Lack of Contextual Factors

57. Future Work
Deployment Studies
Actual Online learners