Millions of Views, But Does It Promote Learning? Analyzing Popular SciComm Production Styles Regarding Learning Success, User Behavior and Perception

With a rising amount of highly successful educational content on major video platforms, science communication (SciComm) can be considered mainstream. Although the success in terms of social media metrics (e.g. followers and watch time) is undoubtedly given, the learning mechanisms of these production styles is under-researched. Through a between-subject-design of 980 adult learners in a MOOC about data science, this study analyzes how much of a difference four popular SciComm production styles about relational databases make in regard to perceived quality, learning success and technical user behavior. Testing the isolated effect showed no statistical difference in the grand scheme of things. Additionally, a multivariate regression model, estimating the overall course points with robust standard errors showed six significant variables: The time spend with the material and the number of exercise submissions are particular noteworthy. Based on our results, an underlying (video) script is more relevant than the actual production style. Prioritizing the preparation of this material instead following a specific, pre-existing video production style is recommended.