Understanding metacomprehension accuracy within video annotation systems

While much research has been conducted on annotations and note-taking in the context of learning from static text and images, the influence of annotating instructional video upon metacognitive monitoring and learning remains unclear. This is an important issue because video annotation systems are gaining popularity in the practice of online and blended learning, but the conditions for effective implementation of such systems are still not well understood. This study explored the influence of video annotation conditions upon metacomprehension accuracy and learning performance with a group of 81 undergraduate students of various majors. Findings suggest that video annotation systems designed for simultaneous notetaking may have a deleterious effect upon metacognitive monitoring in general and metacomprehension in particular. Text-based strategies used to improve metacomprehension accuracy such as a delay in the production of a keyword to summarize the essence of an instructional topic do not appear to impact metacognitive performance in the context of video annotation. Interestingly, participants in the control condition (without annotation) performed as well in both learning performance and metacomprehension accuracy as their counterparts. These findings have implications for the design of video annotation systems and learner best practices in the use of video annotation, particularly in online and blended learning formats.