Student Perspectives on the Use of Interactive Video Lectures in Online Classes

Abstract

As enrollment in online courses continues to rise, examining quality student engagement opportunities in online settings is important for their success and well-being. The current study sought to understand students’ perspectives on using interactive video lectures in fully online classes. Surveys were collected from 161 undergraduate students across two psychology and two family studies and human development online courses. All four courses used online video lectures with embedded questions and pauses to allow time for answering. The survey results report students felt the embedded questions supported their understanding of the content and kept them engaged. Students explicitly reported paying more attention to the videos because there were questions to answer. Students also appreciated the immediate feedback they received, particularly from multiple-choice questions, and felt it helped solidify what they needed to further study. Implications for future practice and research are included.

Calling an Audible: The Use of Interactive Video Lectures and Adjusting Course During the Pandemic Affected Spring 2020 and Fall 2020 Semesters

“…In comparison with previous research, findings from the current study largely align with work showing the importance of active learning in courses, F2F or online. Aligned with previous research on the topic, students in the current study noted liking the ability to have a check on their understanding of the material and felt this kept them more engaged in class (Koenig, 2010;Milner-Bolotin et al, 2010;Ottusch & Jordan, 2019;Patry, 2009;Porter & Tousman, 2010). Regarding practicality, the current study provided evidence on how IVLs may work as a replacement for in-class sessions.…”

“…In addition, Ottusch and Jordan (2019) implemented IVLs in four online psychology and family science courses and found that students noted paying more attention to the IVLs compared to if they were watching a standard video. They also found students reported feeling it supported their learning better than non-IVLs.…”

Training Current and Future Health-related Practitioners to Accurately and Appropriately Disseminate Physical Activity Guidelines

“…First, pilot test participants praised the training video's brevity. Survey research shows college students may prefer educational videos that do not exceed 10-15 minutes in duration (Alpert & Hodkinson, 2019;Ottusch & Jordan, 2022). This has been reported for a traditional lecture format, where videos were embedded in the lecture as a class activity (Alpert & Hodkinson, 2019) and within asynchronous courses (Ottusch & Jordan, 2022).…”

“…Survey research shows college students may prefer educational videos that do not exceed 10-15 minutes in duration (Alpert & Hodkinson, 2019;Ottusch & Jordan, 2022). This has been reported for a traditional lecture format, where videos were embedded in the lecture as a class activity (Alpert & Hodkinson, 2019) and within asynchronous courses (Ottusch & Jordan, 2022). Second, the training video focused on a topic that may be uncommon in college courses or workshops that teach principles or strategies for physical activity promotion and counseling.…”

“…Finally, the training video of the present study included a variety of interactive features midway through the video to quiz the viewer on what they retained from the video. Interactive features that test user knowledge or ability to apply content to a case example are viewed as helpful (Ottusch & Jordan, 2022). Learners feel these features support their learning and motivate them to pay attention to the video (Ottusch & Jordan, 2022).…”