Educating the Netflix generation : evaluating the impact of teaching videos across a science and engineering faculty

Saunders, Fiona ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1644-2511, Gellen, Sandor, Stannard, Jack, McAllister-Gibson, Colin, Simmons, Lisa ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1683-2528 and Gibson, Andy ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2874-5816 (2020) Educating the Netflix generation : evaluating the impact of teaching videos across a science and engineering faculty. In: SEFI European Society for Engineering Education (SEFI2020), 20 September 2020 - 24 September 2020, Enschede, Holland.

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Abstract

In 2017, the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Manchester Metropolitan University began an initiative that led to the creation of over 2000 teaching and learning videos to support students across eight distinct STEM disciplines ranging from Engineering to Geography. The primary aim of the video initiative was to improve teaching metrics across the Faculty; specifically, around retention and progression. Student feedback on the videos via staff comments and student surveys has been consistently positive since the initiative began. However, evidence of the videos’ direct impact on students' performance has until now not been measured. This paper reports the findings of the quantitative component of a mixed methods study to investigate the effectiveness of the video initiative on unit performance. Our sample consisted of 1248 first year and second year undergraduates (L4 and L5 in the UK). Whilst controlling for other factors, regression analysis revealed that viewing more videos, positively correlated with final unit mark. Although effect size was small, video view was the only significant contributor to improved unit performance besides entry qualification and ethnicity. When repeating the analysis to measure the probability of passing the unit, and of obtaining a good honours degree outcome, videos significantly improved the chance of getting a good honours degree but did not predict pass rates significantly. A further qualitative study is now underway to investigate why, how and when students at Manchester Metropolitan make use of the video resources, and how students’ use of video impacts on their learning and academic performance.