Can Online Voice-over Lecture Replace Traditional Didactic Lecture Can Online Voice-over Lecture Replace Traditional Didactic Lecture? An Evaluation Through Randomised Cross Over Study Mark Kiak Min Tan Dr Yeow Toh Peng Prof Loh Li-Cher Penang Medical College

Background Traditional Didactic Lecture (TDL) requires lecturer to be at the same place and at the same time with students Video recording of lectures increasingly used to complement TDL Limited evidence of Voice-over Lecture (VoL) on effectiveness and acceptance as a replacement for traditional lectures

Methods of Delivery TDL 1 hour live-lecture Lecture notes provided for print out beforehand VoL + Q&A Narrated PowerPointTM slides available on Moodle 30 minute interactive “meet the lecturer” Q&A session Cutting of curriculum time Randomised- no choice, because bias

Why VoL + Q&A? VoL advantages easily recorded ability to be viewed repeatedly & at any time or place Q&A adds an interactive element to the recorded lecture Why this format of VoL- mainly easy to record, and can be reviewed repeatedly Why + Q&A- it adds interactiv e element to digital lecture (ref), Best of both world- might be better to replace tdl Why not load it on moodle and listen …. And come back for discussion. Therefore ‘blended approach’ would be the best method if TDL were to be replaced

The question is… 1. Is VoL + Q&A as effective for delivering content? 2. Can it replace the TDL?

Accessing VoL

Study Design (1) Monday Lecture 1 Friday Lecture 2 Lecture 1 & 2 Group A TDL Group B TDL Online MCQ Quiz Group B VoL + Q&A Group A VoL + Q&A Lecture 1 & 2 given by same lecturer VoL was released 1 week before Q&A session Lecture notes was released 2 days before TL Online MCQ was opened 1 week after the 2nd lecture, and opened for 10days

Study Design (2) + + Baseline Questionnaire Perception Questionnaire Online MCQ Quiz Group A TDL VoL + Q&A Group B Lecture 1 Lecture 2 Lecture 1 & 2 Online MCQ Quiz Group A TDL VoL + Q&A Group B Lecture 3 Lecture 4 Lecture 3 & 4 + Perception Questionnaire

Participants 110 students from the Class of 2011 Results were evaluated for Effectiveness Preference/ Satisfaction Factors influencing preference 15 shows complpexity of current situation Ecluded all who did not participate in all four

Evaluation of Content Mastery (n=14) Objective Online MCQ Quizzes p=0.364 Paired t test Objective-mcq Subjective- questionnaire Exam results may not easses how well students grasp a topic VoL + Q&A 6.85/10 SD± 1.97 TDL 7.38/10 SD± 1.71

Subjective Confidence Rating 0= No confidence. No idea what to talk about if asked 1= Significant gap in knowledge and understanding. I need more tuition 2= May have some gap or mistake in understanding but generally adequate 3= Complete understanding. May be susceptible to minor mistake but overall competent 4= Fully confident. Complete and thorough knowledge and understanding 4 major sections Section 1- Perception of Voice-over Lecture Section 2- Preference of Lecture Type Section 3- Confidence Outcomes for each lecture Section 4- Free Text for comments

Evaluation of Content Mastery (n=14) Subjective Confidence Rating p=0.493 VoL + Q&A 2.21/4 SD±0.63 TDL 2.12/4 SD± 0.60

Subjective Confidence Rating 0= No confidence. No idea what to talk about if asked 1= Significant gap in knowledge and understanding. I need more tuition 2= May have some gap or mistake in understanding but generally adequate 3= Complete understanding. May be susceptible to minor mistake but overall competent 4= Fully confident. Complete and thorough knowledge and understanding 4 major sections Section 1- Perception of Voice-over Lecture Section 2- Preference of Lecture Type Section 3- Confidence Outcomes for each lecture Section 4- Free Text for comments

Evaluation of Format Preference (n=68) SECTION 1 & 2 LIKERT SCALE 1=Strongly Agree 2=Agree 3=Tend to Agree 4=Tend to Disagree 5=Disagree 6=Strongly Disagree Whole class

Perception Questionnaire (1) Compared to the traditional format of lecture delivery, Voice Over Lecture Allows me to better master the lecture content and achieve the stated learning outcome 3 (Tend to agree) Reduces self study time required to master content of lecture Allows me to remember what I learn for longer

Perception Questionnaire (2) Compared to the traditional format of lecture delivery, Voice Over Lecture Makes learning more enjoyable 3 (Tend to agree) Is desirable because it allows me to learn at my own pace 2 (Agree) Is desirable because it frees up “in-college” time

Perception Questionnaire (3) Compared to the traditional format of lecture delivery, Voice Over Lecture Allows complicated concept to be better explained in detail 4 (Tend to disagree) VoL is equally desirable without the “meet the lecturer” session 4 (Tend to disagree) “Meet the lecturer” session allow me to clarify gap in my knowledge that could not have been achieved with other means 2 (Agree)

VoL + Q&A should completely REPLACE traditional lecture Format Preference VoL + Q&A should completely REPLACE traditional lecture VoL +Q&A should be as ADD-ON to traditional lecture 73% 94% Yes No

Perception Questionnaire Free Text

Own Pace “I could pause... and look for what i don’t understand from the book or the internet.” “I think it's suitable for a slow learner like me.”

Own Time & Place “Students can listen to the voice-over at a suitable time (eg. later in the evening/night) and spend more patient time in the afternoon at the hospital.” “Allows me to study at my own time … can put myself in my own conducive environment.”

Style of Presentation “Certain lecturers tend to be more monotonous when recording their voice-over…traditional lectures in these cases would be more interactive and be less of a pain to pay attention to . .” “The voice-overs are utterly boring when I hear them even though the lecturer who has taught us in class is pretty good.”

Presentation Slides “.. I tend to be put off if (the) lecturer is just reading exactly from (the) slides ….I prefer (if) the slides presented were summarised slides with plenty of pictures or diagrams to aid understanding “

Factors influencing Preference? Race & Gender Previous secondary schooling Proficiency of English Language Learning styles (ILS) No Significant relationship with preference Poster 6V2 TP Yeow*, KM Tan and LC Loh .Learning styles and language proficiency does not affect format preference of lecture delivery - a study of online voice-over lecture vs traditional didactic lecture

Conclusion VoL + Q&A is NOT INFERIOR to traditional lectures in terms of learning outcomes Q&A session facilitate clarification of difficult concepts However, VoL + Q&A is preferred as ADD-ON rather than replacement of traditional lecture

Conclusion PRESENTATION STYLES matter because VoL was perceived as boring by some may not suite teaching styles of some lecturers “I agree that it is hard to sound enthusiastic and vary tone to the microphone compared to a live audience.”

Acknowledgement Prof Amir Khir & Prof Loh Li-Cher for their participation in the project Penang Medical College (PMC) & Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) for funding of this presentation

THANK YOU markkiakmintan@rcsi.ie