Online Video Tutorials Increase Learning of Difficult Concepts in an Undergraduate Analytical Chemistry Course

Educational technology has enhanced, even revolutionized, pedagogy in many areas of higher education. This study examines the incorporation of video tutorials as a supplement to learning in an undergraduate analytical chemistry course. The concepts and problems in which students faced difficulty were first identified by assessing students' homework assignments and exam responses. Then, a tutorial Video clip aimed at that specific knowledge point was designed by the instructor using the Camtasia software package and was uploaded to the course Web site portal (Blackboard). To assess the effectiveness of the tutorials, students' oral and written feedback, pre- and post-video-tutoring exam performance, and data from previous classes taught by the same instructor were examined. Results indicate that online video tutorials are a valuable, flexible, and cost-effective tool to improve student mastery of chemistry problem solving.