Share Paper: Teaching with Avatars: Video Tutorials for Online Learning and Digital Literacy

1. Mindy Frisbee, University of Oregon, United States
2. Lynne Anderson-Inman, University of Oregon, United States
3. Carmen Rivas, University of Oregon, United States

Abstract: The use of video tutorials for online learning is gaining increased attention and acceptance from educators, researchers, parents, and product developers. As elearning takes advantage of emerging digital media, students will increasingly experience instruction through online video tutorials, both at home and school (e.g., Khan Academy, Lynda.com, YouTube). There are few guidelines, however, to ensure that online video tutorials are engaging, informative, and educationally valuable. As part of the University of Oregon’s Project ESTRELLAS, we created 44 video tutorials using avatars as teachers and students. The tutorials are embedded in a curriculum of six modules for teaching middle school students ...