Exploring the impact of different types of instructor generated videos on student learning in a university physiology course

Videos have become a popular way to engage students with material prior to a class, yet this is an unexplored area of research. There is support for the use of videos where instructors tutor students, but few studies have been conducted in a classroom. In this study, we used a randomized crossover design to compare the impact of two types of instructor-generated videos on university students in a large-enrollment physiology course. We compared videos featuring only an instructor with videos featuring an instructor tutoring a student. We found that students preferred, enjoyed, and valued the Instructor Only videos significantly more than the Instructor-Tutee videos. Additionally, below-average students performed significantly better on physiology quizzes after watching Instructor Only videos compared with Instructor-Tutee videos. Above average students performed equivalently on physiology quizzes after watching Instructor Only or Instructor-Tutee videos. This study applies cognitive science to a classroom practice.