Investigating the effect of interactive videos on test-takers’ performance on the listening section of IELTS - IELTS Research Reports Online Series - No. 2/23

Aug 29, 2026

This report examines how interactive video input influences IELTS Listening performance compared with the traditional paper-based, audio-only format. Using a counter-balanced mixed-methods design, the study also captures test-takers’ perceptions and preferences. Results show a statistically significant difference in item challenge between formats, identify item type and length as key drivers of response times, and indicate stronger preference for the familiar audio-only approach. The findings support the potential pedagogic value of interactive video input and raise construct-related considerations for multimodal versus audio-only listening.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages63

Reading Time2 h 39 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Rationale for interactive video input in IELTS Listening

Study design and research questions

Abstract

Background on video input and interactive timelines

Aim and scope of the study

ISSN 2201-2982 2023/2 IELTS Research Reports Online Series Investigating the effect of interactive videos on test-takers’ performance on the listening section of IELTS Ruslan Suvorov and Zhi Li Investigating the effect of interactive videoson test-takers’ performance on the listening section of IELTS This study compared test-takers’ performance on the IELTS Listening test delivered in the traditional paper-based audio-only format vs. a computer-based format that uses interactive videos with embedded test items. The study also explored test-takers’ perceptions and preferences of the two formats. Funding This research was funded by the IELTS Partners: British Council, Cambridge Assessment English and IDP: IELTS Australia. Grant awarded 2022. Publishing details Published by the IELTS Partners: British Council, Cambridge Assessment English and IDP: IELTS Australia © 2023. This publication is copyright. No commercial re-use. The research and opinions expressed are of individual researchers and do not represent the views of IELTS. The publishers do not accept responsibility for any of the claims made in the research. How to cite this report Suvorov, R. , & Li, Z. (2023) . Investigating the effect of interactive videos on test-takers’performance on the listening section of IELTS. IELTS Research Reports Online Series, No. 2/23 . British Council, Cambridge Assessment English and IDP: IELTS Australia. Available at [https://www.ielts.org/teaching-and-research/research-reports](https://www.ielts.org/teaching-and-research/research-reports) [Topic tags: IELTS Test-Listening](Topic tags: IELTS Test-Listening); Technology; Test comparisons [www.ielts.org](www.ielts.org) IELTS Research Reports Online Series 2023/2 Introduction This study by Suvorov and Li was conducted with support from the IELTS Partners (British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia, and Cambridge University Press & Assessment), as part of the IELTS joint-funded research program. Research funded by the British Council and IDP: IELTS Australia under this program complement those conducted or commissioned by Cambridge University Press & Assessment, and together inform the ongoing validation and improvement of IELTS. A signiﬁcant body of research has been produced since the joint-funded research program started in 1995, with over 200 empirical studies receiving grant funding. After undergoing a process of peer review and revision, many of the studies have been published in academic journals, in several IELTS-focused volumes in the Studies in Language Testing series ([http://www.cambridgeenglish.org/silt](http://www.cambridgeenglish.org/silt)), and in the IELTS Research Reports series. Since 2012, to facilitate timely access, the research reports have been published on the IELTS website immediately after completing the peer review and revision process. The inclusion of video input in listening tasks has long been an area of debate. While being able to process visual or non-verbal information is often seen as embedded within listening comprehension, language assessments typically avoid the inclusion of visuals. An important aspect of this is the interaction demanded of the candidate with the input. In the context of IELTS Listening, which can be deﬁned as a ‘while-listening’performance test, the candidate is required to listen concurrent to answering items, and there is the risk of cognitive overload and a potential impact on performance. One way to ameliorate issues of split attentional resources is to utilise interactive video input where the items are embedded in the input. The use of interactive videos has been relatively extensive in wider educational contexts, yet within language testing these studies have been notably rare. With this gap in mind, Suvorov and Li seek to explore candidate performance in both an online, interactive video input format IELTS Listening test and the standard, audio-only, paper-based test, and how the te

FAQs

本研究比较了哪两种IELTS Listening呈现方式？

研究比较了传统纸质音频-only形式与基于电脑的交互式视频形式（视频中嵌入测试题）。

研究发现哪些因素与答题反应时间相关？

研究指出，题型（item-type）和题目长度（item length）是反应时间的关键因素。

考生对两种形式的偏好如何？

偏好总体倾向于更熟悉的音频-only形式。

Aug 29, 2026

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