Investigation of video tutorial effectiveness and student use for general chemistry laboratories

The effectiveness and use of video tutorials as an educational tool for general chemistry labs was examined over the Fall 2013 semester using web analytics tracking functions including Google Analytics and data sourced from a video streaming server. Data such as the number of pageviews, number of plays, playthrough ratio, devices, and operating systems used were collected throughout the semester. In addition, a short survey was conducted for students and instructors to determine the perceived influence the video tutorials had on students’ learning. The analytic and survey data obtained support that most students used the video tutorials to prepare for labs and the lab exam. Most students perceived the video tutorials increased their understanding and confidence levels in the lab.