This document discusses using pre-practical and post-practical videos in pharmacology practical classes to replace traditional paper manuals and in-person talks. Viewing data on the videos of 148 students found high viewing rates of 62-129% of video lengths. A student survey showed 92-99% found the videos helpful and preferred them to text. While initially challenging to create, providing information through short videos allowed students to review concepts flexibly and reinforced learning compared to traditional paper formats.

1. Videos to present pre-prac and
post-prac information
Why? How? and is it worth it?
Elizabeth Davis
Department of Pharmacology

2. Pharmacology
Practical classes:
= an integral component of our units
• designed to:
– reinforce and extend concepts introduced
in lectures
– develop skills in presentation and
interpretation of data

3. “Traditional” Practical format
• Practical Manual contains:
– Detailed background
– Protocol
• Pre-prac worksheet:
– Hardcopy
– Due at start of prac
• On the prac day:
– Pre-prac talk at start
– Prac….
– Post-prac talk
• Assessment = Prac report due next week

4. 2013 Practical format
• Practical Manual contains:
– Less background
– Protocol
• Pre-prac talk as video:
– Linked to a Moodle quiz
• On the prac day:
– Prac….
• Post-prac talk as video
• Assessment = Prac report due next week

5. Pre-prac videos
Initally used Echo360 personal capture / Windows Movie maker
included:
–background theory
–practical aspects

6. Post-prac talk
– Video “discussion” of prac and data (webcam)
– Examples of data presentation (screencapture)

7. • All videos hosted on YouTube (unlisted) with
link from Moodle

8. Did the students use them?

9. Did the students use them?
Pre-prac video views
(enrolment = 148)
duration
views
Average view duration
Pre-prac 1
10:46
256
6:42 (62.3%)
Pre-prac 2
12:39
249
8:47 (129%??)
Pre-prac 3
13:38
261
8:32 (62.6%)
Pre-prac 4
8:21
270
5:42 (68.2%)

10. Staff feedback…
• “Previously, … I think that most students only scanned
through it for the required information to answer the
quiz”
“…manuals often contained annotations and high-lighted
text and cumulative concentration tables were already
filled out …. most students were able to launch straight
into the protocol”
• “I had some students who would have forgotten some of
the tips provided in the video, and if required they would
watch it again during the prac”

11. Did the students use them?
Post-prac video views
(enrolment = 148)
duration
views
Average view duration
Post-prac 1
8:10
124
5:17 (64.7%)
Post-prac 2
7:16
326
4:37 (63.7%)
Post-prac 3
15:37
361
8:03 (51.6%)
Post-prac 4
10:48
158
7:54 (73.2%)

12. General feedback
Paper based survey in week 12: 131 responses (89%)
I had no problems viewing the pre- or postprac videos
% agree
(agree + strongly agree)
92%
The format of the video was appropriate:
- Pre-prac
94%
- Post-prac
92%
In general, I have found the use of videos in
for pre- and post-prac talks helpful
I prefer information to be presented as a
video rather than in text
99%
73%
(22% neutral)

13. “I could watch them again if I needed to
refresh my memory. Less tedious than
reading huge chunks of text when you're
tired which was helpful. Visually showing
results for pracs was easier to understand
than results section in manual.”

14. For those wanting to give it a go….
• Use Camtasia or similar …
• Make the videos as short as possible…
• Make sure the students see the value in watching
them…

15. Acknowledgements
•
•
•
•
Barbara Kemp-Harper – my post prac co-presenter
Marg Wastell & Narelle Metcalf – for photos when needed
Eva Patak & Shalini Murali Krishnan – for feedback
To all the Pharmacology Teaching Associates

16. Examples
• Preprac video (prac 4) http://youtu.be/OD6aTpth2y4
• Postprac video (prac 2) http://youtu.be/0usXbzdIpr8