Instructional Videos in an Online Engineering Economics Course

Abstract

The use of video lectures is a common method of delivering course content in online learning environments. Over time, our understanding of what makes an effective online video has evolved with advances in educational research and technology. In the past decade, free online video services such as YouTube have allowed widespread dissemination of instructional videos. Prevalence of high-quality instruction produced by organizations such as Kahn Academy has advanced our knowledge of effective video techniques and raised our students' expectations. Recent research has explored the elements of lecture videos and presentation styles that either contribute to, or detract from, student engagement. This paper explores one instructor's experience with teaching an online course in engineering economics multiple times, the original development of lecture videos and the subsequent editing and rework of those videos. Until recently, the effectiveness of the course videos was judged primarily from student feedback in course evaluations. However, the most recent version of our institution's learning management system allows collection of detailed student viewing data on the videos, including number of views, average view time and drop-off rates. Correlation between video viewing habits and student performance is explored and recommendations and lessons learned are provided.

Video Instruction to Complement All Learning Styles in a First-Year Introduction to Engineering Course

“…Some studies have shown videos less than 10 minutes in length are best, 1,8 while others have found that even shorter lengths, 5 minutes, are better for understanding information based on quiz scores. 9 Since these studies were often for videos of full lectures, the lower end of the video lengths are probably most appropriate for lab equipment or software. A detailed analysis of video lengths found that many students use YouTube speed acceleration features to limit the time spent on videos.…”

“…Videos should be a cohesive collection of concepts told in a logical narrative that highlights the most important concepts. 9,11 An effective video is broken into segments to organize material in an understandable format. Spoken word, pictures, and text should be combined to convey more than each could alone; in particular, the use of a real person in the video makes it easier for students to pay attention.…”

“…Spoken word, pictures, and text should be combined to convey more than each could alone; in particular, the use of a real person in the video makes it easier for students to pay attention. 9,11 These techniques should all be used to create effective videos.…”

A Thesis-based Option for Enhancing Pedagogy in Engineering Economy at the Graduate Level

“…Case studies are rarely used (less than 18% of the faculty surveyed utilized case studies) in the teaching tool box [9] - [11] even though case studies allow students to gain insight into the theoretical principles being presented in the class room via their practical applications described in the case studies. Curriculum enrichment has also been attempted via instructional videos [12], additional readings and writing research papers [13] and design based problem solving approach [14].…”

Student Post-Pandemic Perceptions of Supplemental Instructional Videos

“…Textbook publishers may provide supplemental video content to complement hard-copy or electronic textbooks [5]. Some streaming platforms like YouTube provide opportunities for educational videos [6] and [7]. These platforms offer instructional videos covering general topic overviews to very specific college coursework.…”