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.