Competency: Design
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Synchronized Second Screen
Summary: This design based research project stemmed from a previous second screen research project that was part of ISLT 9410 Human Computer Interaction. A second screen is a computer, smartphone or table used to view information in addition to information being viewed on a primary screen such as a television. In the previous project, students failed to advance the slides that accompanied a science video. I looked for a way to solve the problem and advance the slides automatically.
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Process: I created a method to broadcast a slideshow that synchronized with the content of a video. This involved creating a scene storyboard, an accompanying slideshow, and using Microsoft synchronization tools in PowerPoint. I then tested this with 5 different users, gathered their feedback and incorporated recommended changes including increased interactivity and color change between slides to call attention.
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My Role: I was the principle investigator of this pilot study and completed the IRB paperwork for the project. In addition, I used a storyboarding technique to develop the accompanying slideshow for the geology video and found an cost-free method to broadcast the slides so that they would change to synch with the video. I also observed and interviewed five users as they tested the method.
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Reflection: Feedback suggested that the slides could be more interactive. I included questions that allowed users to guess and answer that would later be revealed. Feedback also suggested that the background color could be alternated between slides to that users who were watching the video at the moment the slides changed would attune to the change. The downside was that each teacher would need to spend time creating the storyboard and slides to accompany each video. This would be time consuming, but feasible if work were shared among teachers. Further research with a large number of subjects would be needed to examine any possible cognitive load or learning benefit to the second screen content.
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Artifact: This is the storyboard that correlates video content with slide content. This is the final slideshow with interactivity and alternating background colors to accompany the video.
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