Traditional lecture-centered classrooms are being challenged by active learning hybrid curricula.
In small graduate programs with limited resources and primarily non-traditional students,
exploring how to use online technology to optimize the role of the professor in the
classroom is imperative. However, very little research exists in this area. In this study, the
use of short statistical computing video tutorials was explored using a pilot study in a small
Public Health Program at the University of New Mexico. The videos were implemented in
two Master’s-level biostatistics courses and student perception of the videos was assessed
using quantitative surveys and qualitative focus groups. The results from 16 survey respondents
and 12 focus group participants are presented across the two courses. Viewing rates
for the videos were high, with 15 out of 16 respondents reporting usually or always viewing
the videos. Overall perception of the videos as a learning tool was positive, with 14
out of 16 respondents agreeing that the videos offer advantages to them. Two prominent
themes emerged in our analysis: (1) the usability and convenience of the videos and (2) the
deeper learning facilitated by having the videos available. We conclude that the short video
tutorials were a useful learning tool in our study population.
The CAUSE Research Group is supported in part by a member initiative grant from the American Statistical Association’s Section on Statistics and Data Science Education