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.