Qualitative and Quantitative Evaluation of Three Types of Student-Generated Videos as Instructional Support in Organic Chemistry Laboratories

Abstract

This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of student-generated videos as a supplement to teaching assistant (TA) instruction in an undergraduate organic chemistry laboratory. Three videos covering different aspects of lab instruction (experimental technique, use of instrumentation, and calculations) were produced using student-generated scripts. A laboratory classroom was outfitted with video cameras and sound recording equipment that allowed the research team to monitor all TA−student and student−student interactions. Six course sections led by three randomly assigned TAs were selected. Two sections from each TA were observed (control and treatment), each at the same time of day, 1 week apart. Students in the control group had their TA conduct the lab briefing and supervise the lab, but were given no access to the instructional videos. The treatment group had videos available to supplement the TA's lab briefing but was otherwise identical to the control group. Both groups were given a questionnaire that contained two comprehension questions per category to be completed during the lab before performing the experiment. Statistical analysis of the responses to this pre-experimental questionnaire showed that students who watched the videos had a better understanding of the methods than the students in sections that only received the TA lab briefing. Effect size calculations using Cohen's d indicate that the Instrumentation video had a large positive effect on the number of correct responses in the treatment groups, while small effects were found for the Technique and Calculation videos. Content analysis of the lab transcripts supports these findings. In addition to these effects, treatment groups invariably completed the lab in less time than the control groups. Results from a follow-up survey e-mailed to students the week after their lab session show that most students found the videos to be valuable when completing the lab, with the Technique video being generally ranked as most helpful.

Assessing student process skills and providing feedback to enhance learning in analytical chemistry

“…Findings indicated that the video and interactive computer-assisted activities increased the amount of time students spent completing the pre-lab activities and decreased the number of errors and total time spent on the experiment. This increased efficiency in the laboratory has also been seen in other studies 34,172 . Pre-laboratory instructional videos can also decrease the number of questions students ask about procedural issues, while increasing the number of questions related to calculations or theory 31,38,[172][173] .…”

“…This increased efficiency in the laboratory has also been seen in other studies 34,172 . Pre-laboratory instructional videos can also decrease the number of questions students ask about procedural issues, while increasing the number of questions related to calculations or theory 31,38,[172][173] . This change has been explained as a result of having the videos remove some of the cognitive load of performing the experiments and shifting the focus to thinking about the calculations and chemistry behind the experiments 32,172 .…”

“…vii Table 3: Laboratory manual prompts that were used to evaluate evidence of students' problem solving skills in 2015 59 Table 4: Laboratory question prompts that were evaluated using the problem solving rubric in 2016 63 Table 5: An example of a student's CV laboratory report along with the rubric scores 65 Table 6: An example of a student's HPLC laboratory report along with the rubric scores 70 Table 7: Summary of semesters and exam topics for which student test responses were collected 94 Table 8: Summary of number of student responses coded for the six exam topics 94 Table 9: Operationalized definitions of the process skills used for analysis 96 potential to become more autonomous and self-directed in their learning. 2,[31][32][33][34] Laboratory resources, such as videos, can also aid students in becoming more independent and increase their positive perceptions of the laboratory environment. [35][36][37][38] Investigating students' experiences in the upper-level analytical chemistry laboratory can provide insights as to what students' behaviors are in this environment and how students' own expectations for their learning are supported or hindered by the laboratory environment.…”

“…Pre-laboratory instructional videos can also decrease the number of questions students ask about procedural issues, while increasing the number of questions related to calculations or theory 31,38,[172][173] . This change has been explained as a result of having the videos remove some of the cognitive load of performing the experiments and shifting the focus to thinking about the calculations and chemistry behind the experiments 32,172 . Multimedia pre-laboratory activities have been shown to increase students' perceptions of being prepared for the laboratory 38,165,174 , which can also influence students' overall experience of the laboratory 37,169 .…”

“…A number of different approaches have been used to create pre-laboratory videos. The most common approach is for instructors to create the resources 2,32,34,165,173,[175][176][177] although some instructors had undergraduate students who had completed the course create the videos 166,172 .…”