Narrated Video Clips Improve Student Learning

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine whether viewing narrated video clips improves student learning. The study was conducted with undergraduate, mostly Biology majors, in an Animal Physiology course held in successive semesters. When both classes were given the same face-to-face lectures and identical online resources their performance on an exam with the same multiple choice questions was not statistically different (two-tailed, unpaired t-test). However, when one group was also given unlimited online access to narrated video clips, these students performed statistically better on a second exam with identical multiple choice questions. An attitudinal survey showed that students used the video clips as an introduction to the interactive animations and simulations and as standalone mini-lectures, and they indicated that viewing the clips was the best and most efficient way to learn physiological concepts. While this study used narrated video clips to augment traditional face-to-face instruction, they could be used in a flipped-class, a blended class, and for distance learning.

Production and uses of e-learning tools for animal biology education at university

“…In addition, movies give "a more concrete and realistic idea of the organs in place, in the body of the animal, compared to the diagrams provided in the ebook or lectures". This is in accordance with a previous study by Stephens who reported that 50% of his students used such videos as stand-alone mini-lectures for reminding them of concepts soon after lectures (Stephens 2017). Stephens considers videos a valuable guide to help students to reproduce experimental techniques.…”

“…Other studies on usefulness and students' perception of videos were reported for molecular biology (Dupuis et al 2013;Laneuville & Sikora 2015) and for physiology or anatomy teaching (Dobson 2009(Dobson , 2010Mayfield et al 2013). A study was also performed to establish whether viewing narrated biology/animal physiology videos could statistically improve results on multiple choice questions (Stephens 2017). Students' unstructured comments in our questionnaire allowed us to establish that videos help them "to focus on main criterion of each group of animal" to be dissected compared with all data provided by traditional lectures.…”

“…In this paper, we focus on an active learning approach that engages undergraduate students in life sciences to prepare each practical session with digital tools before the face-to-face class time. This kind of approach during the first year of a bachelor's degree in biology was reported to improve student performance by a range of 6-16% (Michael 2006;Freeman et al 2007Freeman et al , 2014Armbruster et al 2009;Dupuis et al 2013;Fraser et al 2014;Stephens 2017;Hacisalihoglu et al 2018). In addition, such integration of active learning in biology education helps students to acquire conceptual understanding and scientific thinking skills (Deslauriers et al 2011;Freeman et al 2014).…”