Dissertation defence (Education): KM Mikko Haavisto
KM Mikko Haavisto defends the dissertation in Education titled “Studying illustrated texts and videos in primary classrooms: Learning outcomes, cognitive load, studying processes, and individual differences” at the University of Turku on 19 December 2025 at 12.00 (University of Turku, Publicum, Pub3 lecture hall, Assistentinkatu 7, Turku).
The audience can participate in the defence by remote access: https://echo360.org.uk/section/579f9ebc-e49c-41a5-904e-767096ff6285/public
Opponent: Professor Kristian Kiili (Tampere University)
Custos: Professor Janne Lepola (University of Turku)
Doctoral Dissertation at UTUPub: https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-02-0471-6
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Summary of the Doctoral Dissertation:
This dissertation investigates how primary school students learn from videos and illustrated texts, and why one material may work better. Although both materials are widely used, we still know little about how they affect learning when students study them at their own pace in the classroom.
In classroom experiments, fifth and sixth graders studied science topics using both videos and illustrated texts on tablets. Both materials contained the same words and pictures to make the comparison fair. In the illustrated texts, the words were written. In the videos, they were spoken aloud instead. Students completed learning tests and rated how much mental effort their studying required. In addition, screen recordings were collected to show how they navigated the materials.
The results show that students remembered more of the content when it was presented as a video. Videos also required less effort than the illustrated texts. Videos were studied faster, as most students read more slowly than the video progressed. Students usually watched the videos from start to finish with little navigation. In contrast, reading speed varied widely, and students with weaker reading skills benefited the most from videos.
The findings matter for everyday teaching. Videos can help students learn more efficiently, reduce gaps between learners, and support those who struggle with reading. Since many learning resources now offer both video and illustrated text alternatives, this research offers teachers relevant information for daily choices.
Earlier research has suggested that videos benefit learning because they reduce mental effort. In this study, differences in effort did not explain the learning advantages of videos, and students did not find either format particularly demanding. This suggests that earlier theories, often based on short and demanding laboratory-style tasks, may not explain self-paced learning well in regular primary school classroom contexts.
The audience can participate in the defence by remote access: https://echo360.org.uk/section/579f9ebc-e49c-41a5-904e-767096ff6285/public
Opponent: Professor Kristian Kiili (Tampere University)
Custos: Professor Janne Lepola (University of Turku)
Doctoral Dissertation at UTUPub: https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-02-0471-6
***
Summary of the Doctoral Dissertation:
This dissertation investigates how primary school students learn from videos and illustrated texts, and why one material may work better. Although both materials are widely used, we still know little about how they affect learning when students study them at their own pace in the classroom.
In classroom experiments, fifth and sixth graders studied science topics using both videos and illustrated texts on tablets. Both materials contained the same words and pictures to make the comparison fair. In the illustrated texts, the words were written. In the videos, they were spoken aloud instead. Students completed learning tests and rated how much mental effort their studying required. In addition, screen recordings were collected to show how they navigated the materials.
The results show that students remembered more of the content when it was presented as a video. Videos also required less effort than the illustrated texts. Videos were studied faster, as most students read more slowly than the video progressed. Students usually watched the videos from start to finish with little navigation. In contrast, reading speed varied widely, and students with weaker reading skills benefited the most from videos.
The findings matter for everyday teaching. Videos can help students learn more efficiently, reduce gaps between learners, and support those who struggle with reading. Since many learning resources now offer both video and illustrated text alternatives, this research offers teachers relevant information for daily choices.
Earlier research has suggested that videos benefit learning because they reduce mental effort. In this study, differences in effort did not explain the learning advantages of videos, and students did not find either format particularly demanding. This suggests that earlier theories, often based on short and demanding laboratory-style tasks, may not explain self-paced learning well in regular primary school classroom contexts.
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