This action research aims to determine if incorporating instructional videos with printed lessons is an effective strategy for teaching email skills to immigrant senior learners. Participants will be divided into two groups - one receiving printed lessons only, and the other receiving printed lessons plus videos. Pre- and post-instruction assessments of email skills and perceptions will be administered and compared between groups to analyze the impact of the multimedia incorporation. The researcher hypothesizes that the group receiving the multimedia will demonstrate greater gains in skills and more positive perceptions.

1. Effectiveness of Incorporating
Instructional Videos
with Printed Lessons
in Teaching Email Skills
for The Immigrant Senior Learners
Peter Vo
A Capstone Presented to the Teachers College Faculty
Of Western Governors University
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree
Master of Education in Learning and Technology

2. Capstone Project Overview
 Even though there are huge sources of printed materials available for teaching
computer skills, most immigrant seniors still struggle with learning Email skills due
to their limited English proficiency, lack of computer experiences, and cognitive
aging effects. (Unable to understand and follow the step-by-step lessons)
 This action research aims toward an effective instructional strategies to
incorporate instructional multimedia with the printed lessons in teaching the
emails skills to the the immigrant senior learners.
 The participants will be stratified as two classrooms differentiated by the variance
“instructional multimedia” (one classroom uses printed lessons only, and the other
uses instructional multimedia incorporated with printed lessons).
 Data will be collected as pre- and post-instruction data, including assessment test
scores and Likert level perceptions toward the email skills.
 Pre- and Post-instruction mean test scores (quantitative) and learners' perceptions
toward email skills (qualitative) will be compared to draw conclusions.

3. Project Development Process
Why did I choose this topic?
 I chose this topic because I am currently teaching basic computer skills to
the immigrant seniors who struggle understanding the English
instructional materials and software operations, due to their limited
English proficiency, lack of computer experiences, and cognitive aging.
Yet, I want to seek an effective teaching strategies that will help these
learners to overcome their learning struggles.
 I wanted to find out how significant the email skills will increase when I
incorporate instructional multimedia with printed lessons, in teaching the
emails skills to the immigrant senior learners, despite the fact the English
lessons only effective to native English speaking.
 I also chose this topic because I want the immigrant seniors to learn the
Email skills so they can connect & exchange texts, photos, videos, links,
various document types etc. with their loved ones, using today's hi-tech.

4. Project Development Process
How does my project fit into the existing
body of knowledge in the field?
 A research has revealed that using instructional videos can help the
teachers to illustrate better the “one-on-one instruction with visual
explanations and procedure” (Castro, 2007, p. 189)
 Other research indicated instructional videos can help the learners to
understand better the computer skills, which involved sequential steps
(Uechi, 2010, p. 14).
 Another research elaborates “An instructional program integrated with
evocative digital resources provides the opportunity for instructors [or
facilitators] to reduce anxiety and to help their students make
connections and form relationships across the boundaries of classroom,
discipline, skill, and background” (Johnson, 2011, p. 9)

5. Project Development Process
Why is this topic important to my field?
Email technology can be a vital instrument for circumstances when the
seniors must exchange information from a long distance (on vacation, on a
field trip, notify important announcement etc.)
Email can also be a vital instrument for circumstances when the seniors
want to share family photos, videos, text messages, documents with
relatives in another part of the world.
Email can also be a vital instrument for circumstances when a friend want
to forward to other friend(s) the valuable link(s) to YouTubes, Webcam
videos, or articles.
There are other circumstances when email can be a vital instrument for
communicating in solving “human conflicts”.

6. Methodology
1. First, [researcher] divides the participants into two groups – group A taught
with printed lessons only, group B with printed lessons and instructional
videos incorporated (for stratified and convenience sampling)
2. [Researcher] administers an initial email skills assessment to measure how
good were the participants' email skills; and an initial Likert questionnaires
to measure how positive were their perceptions toward learning email skills,
prior to receive the instructional units. (pre-instruction assessments)
3. [Teacher] presents the instructional units for email skills.
4. [Researcher] administers the Post-Instructional assessment and Likert
questionnaires, to measure how significant will the participants' email skills
and learning perceptions increase, after receive the lessons.
5. [Researcher] draws conclusions based on the comparison of assessments'
test scores and Likerts' responses from Pre- and Post assessments between
two participant groups.

7. Results
Those immigrant senior learners who attended the classroom where the
teacher incorporated instructional videos with existing printed lessons, will
have increased their level of lessons and skills mastery in learning the email
skills.
The incorporation of multimedia technology with the existing instructional
materials, not only can help the immigrant senior overcome their learning
struggles, and successfully learn the email skills, but it would also benefit
the teachers.
It was clear that the learners from both classrooms indicated highly
positive perceptions toward the incorporation of instructional videos with
existing printed lessons.

8. Results
Send (group A)
Send (group B)
Response (group B)
Response (group B)
Forward (group A)
Forward (group B)
Attachment (group A)
Attachment (group B)
Manage Filter (group A)
Manage Filter (group B)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Initial Skill Test Scores
0% (no skill)
40% (some skill)
80% (Average Skill)
100% (Advanced Skill)
Headcount of Students' Test Scores by group and Skill
EmailSkills
Pre-Instructional skills test results (only one student group A has some skill)
Post-Instructional skills test results (showing more students gained skills)
Send (group A)
Send (group B)
Response (group B)
Response (group B)
Forward (group A)
Forward (group B)
Attachment (group A)
Attachment (group B)
Manage Filter (group A)
Manage Filter (group B)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Post-Instruction Skill Test Scores
0% (no skill)
40% (some skill)
80% (Average Skill)
100% (Advanced Skill)
Headcount of Students' Test Scores by group and Skill
EmailSkills

9. Challenges
There were several challenges in this research.
Difficulties in getting the participants involved.
Difficulties in getting the system's hardware and
software support from the computer IT groups.
Organize the instructional settings.
Preparation of instructional materials.

10. Obstacles & Strategies
 Getting the 21 senior learners to participate in this study was an obstacle
due to their Computerphobia and language barriers.
 I had to convey and explain each participant “yes, I have effective
teaching strategies and you can learn the email skills” when I passed
the Capstone Informed Form. And they smile.
 I also told them to look for more computer skill classes in future.
 Have other non-instructional volunteers to help setting up hardware and
software for internet connection was another obstacle.
 I had to promise these network administrators “yes, I will not give out
the router's security password and I will configure each learner's
laptop”.
 I also told these network administrators “yes, I will do the same for
other classes in future”. And I receive support from them.

11. Obstacles & Strategies (cont.)
Organizing instructional settings (classrooms, projectors,
sound, tables & chairs, etc.) was challenging.
 I have my wife help me organizing this obstacle. She arranges all of
this so well.
 My wife promised to offer same help in the future.
Preparing instructional units suitable for bilingual learners
(manual, multimedia) was challenging.
 I had to think a lot when designing an effective lesson plan, making
sure it will provide the right instructional stuffs.
 I had to make the instructional videos by myself, due to short
budget and the skill details in the lesson plans.
 I will use the same strategies for future lesson plans, developing and
making the multimedia, myself whenever possible.

12. Prediction of strategies
Effective planning strategies for lesson plans, developing
and making the multimedia, using available assistive
technology will help students and teachers success.
Being able to work with other professional in a teamwork
spirit will help the teacher get the job done smoothly.
Clear goal of instructional and performance objective will
bring fruitful results to the classroom
A details and careful learning strategies will help learners
overcome learning struggles and fully master the skills.

13. Strengths
 Creating effective instruments for data collection and analysis was a
strength. This research deals with both quantitative and qualitative data.
The instruments were simple but effective for the researcher to use in the
data collection and analysis process.
 Having effective verbal skills in delivering the lessons was another
strength.
 I was the teacher and researcher, who also have the same native
language with the learners, a strength for the lesson delivery in dual
language when needed.
 The incorporation of multimedia with printed lesson really helped the
learners overcome their learning struggle. The learners were able to
understand the step-by-step instructions related to the skills they learn.
 The strength in this study can be applied to other computer skills classes
for the immigrant seniors in the future.

14. Weakness
 The lessons were based on Google's Gmail features. Had the
study based on other email services i.e Yahoo, Hot mail, MSN
etc. the results might be different.
 Most of the participants were from the same cultural and
native language background. Having participants from
different background might affect the result.
 Almost all participants from Asia region. Having participant
from other region of the world might also affect the result
 Instructional videos were created to play on DVD players or
computers. Developing these Instructional videos as stream
videos would be more useful.

15. Revisions
Following are revisions recommended by the
researcher, if this study were replicated.
 Include other email services i.e Yahoo, Hot mail, MSN etc.
in the lessons delivery and student performance practice.
 Include participants from different cultural and native
language background.
 Include participant from other region of the world.
 Include instructional videos as stream videos during lesson
delivery.
 Increase time for the instructional units and assessments

16. Recommendation
This study could be improved by:
Adding to the list of participants with more immigrant seniors from
different ethnics or backgrounds.
Expand the research strategies on the available assistive technology
for teaching and learning settings, which could help solve the
immigrant senior learners' struggles in learning new technology. It is
important to look at the immigrant senior learners as the special
populations in researching for instructional remedies.
Another area could be improved is to expand the study of the
learners' email skills in a different environment other than the
personal computer, i.e. the smartphone, the tablet, etc. Because of
this improvement, the influential factors and the findings could be
different.

17. Classroom Applications
The immigrant senior learners would appreciate the teachers
who would incorporate instructional videos with the printed
lessons in the delivery of step-by-step computer lessons and
best practice of skills.
 Breaking the lessons into small chunks would helps both the
teachers and students in achieving the instructional goals
Not only to use the videos technology in immigrant adult
teaching and learning, but also all other available technology
because the immigrant adults are the special populations
 Instructional project is not a one-man job, but a team-work
job where each individual can contribute his/her talents.

18. References
Castro, Claudio de Moura (2007). Adult education: The victory
of spontaneous action. Retrieved from
http://www.claudiomouracastro.com.br/upload/Adult
education.pdf
Johnson, M. (2011). Adult Learners and Technology: How to
Deliver Effective Instruction and Overcome Barriers to
Learning. Retrieved from
http://www.umsl.edu/~wilmarthp/modla-links-2011
Uechi, N. (2010). An Instructional Video Module on
Spreadsheets Accommodating the Needs of Senior Citizens.
Retrieved from
http://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/handle/10125/15365