Video Tutorials in the Traditional Classroom: The Effects on Different Types of Cognitive Load

Are video tutorials better teachers? This pilot study examined the effects of video tutorials on different types of cognitive load. Participating students (N = 45) attended two classrooms: a video tutorial-based classroom, and a traditional instruction-based classroom. The cognitive load scales indicated differences in cognitive load between the video classroom and the traditional classroom. Video tutorials decreased students’ intrinsic load (t = -4.507, p < .001, d = − 0.672) and increased germane load (t = 4.749, p < .001, d = 0.708) but did not affect extraneous load (t = -1.688, p = .098, d = − 0.252). The results also indicated additivity for different types of cognitive load in the two classrooms. In general, our results demonstrate that video tutorials are a promising form of instructional material, especially to facilitate more effective and deeper learning.