Why narrative frames matter for instructional videos: A value-evoking narrative frame is essential to foster sustained learning with emotional design videos

Instructional videos on the internet that incorporate emotional design often employ a narrative frame. This frame is intended to enhance the value of the content to-be-learned and, in turn, promote sustained learning in longer learning sessions. We tested whether the presence of a value-evoking narrative frame (vs. expository frame) actually enhances sustained learning. We employed a 2 × 2 × 3 mixed between-subject design (N = 128) with repeated measures on three 5-min sections of video. The between-subject factors included audiovisual design (emotional vs. neutral) and frame (narrative vs. expository). We observed a three-way interaction between audiovisual design, frame, and learning phase with respect to learning outcomes: The narrative frame was essential for improving sustained learning at the end of the video. Without the narrative frame, emotional audiovisual design hindered sustained learning. This pattern of results suggests that employing a narrative frame maintains triggered situational interest and contributes significantly to sustained learning from instructional video.