Short introductory videos for elaborative encoding of physics principles

Abstract

Introductory videos play a vital role in enabling active learning in the flipped classroom model, but guidelines for their content and structure are lacking, especially regarding specific learning processes. To address this gap, we developed a series of introductory videos intended to stimulate elaborative encoding of new physics principles. Over 60 introductory videos were produced, each covering a single physics principle or definition. These videos featured a brief intro, a pretest with elaborative encoding questions, answers to each question, a posttest, and an equation retrieval prompt. In a course with approximately 150 students, we conducted student interviews (n = 13) and surveys from two cohorts (n = 50 and 44). The students varied in how and whether they engaged with the videos. Several students noticed a large difference in how much they learned from lectures. The students felt that the videos provided a good overview and made it easier to learn the content of the course. Furthermore, 73% of the survey respondents would be "very disappointed" if they lost access to the videos, underscoring their perceived importance in the learning process. Our framework for introductory videos in physics can make it easier for lecturers to incorporate a flipped classroom approach with videos.