Applied Sciences (Nov 2024)

Improving Web Readability Using Video Content: A Relevance-Based Approach

  • Ehsan Elahi,
  • Jorge Morato,
  • Ana Iglesias

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/app142311055
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 14, no. 23
p. 11055

Abstract

Read online

With the increasing integration of multimedia elements into webpages, videos have emerged as a popular medium for enhancing user engagement and knowledge retention. However, irrelevant or poorly placed videos can hinder readability and distract users from the core content of a webpage. This paper proposes a novel approach leveraging natural language processing (NLP) techniques to assess the relevance of video content on educational websites, thereby enhancing readability and user engagement. By using a cosine similarity-based relevance scoring method, we measured the alignment between video transcripts and webpage text, aiming to improve the user’s comprehension of complex topics presented on educational platforms. Our results demonstrated a strong correlation between automated relevance scores and user ratings, with an improvement of over 35% in relevance alignment. The methodology was evaluated across 50 educational websites representing diverse subjects, including science, mathematics, and language learning. We conducted a two-phase evaluation process: an automated scoring phase using cosine similarity, followed by a user study with 100 participants who rated the relevance of videos to webpage content. The findings support the significance of integrating NLP-driven video relevance assessments for enhanced readability on educational websites, highlighting the potential for broader applications in e-learning.

Keywords