Survey on the Use of Teaching and Learning Videos by Lecturers
Educational videos in higher education: assessing usage, demand and support in order to optimise production, quality and educational value.
Duration: February 2023 – May 2024
Status: Completed
Educational Level: Primary Level, Lower Secondary Level, Upper Secondary Level – Vocational Education, Upper Secondary Level – Grammar School Education, Tertiary Level
Topic: Digital Skills & Literacy, Digital Tools
Keywords: Digitised Teaching Modules
Initial Situation
Teaching and learning videos are widely used in higher education and offer a variety of opportunities for knowledge acquisition, reflection and cooperative learning. Despite their widespread use and extensive research, there has been no systematic survey of actual usage practices and the support needs of teachers. Videos require time and technical resources as well as digital skills in order to achieve didactic added value. Practical data collection is therefore necessary to analyse existing usage patterns, supplement the state of research and derive recommendations for action for the integration of teaching and learning videos into teaching. The project addresses this research gap and lays the foundation for optimising the production, support and use of these videos.
Objectives
The aim of the project was to conduct a thorough assessment of the current situation and needs regarding the use of teaching and learning videos by lecturers. This involved recording usage scenarios, video types, support requirements and accessibility aspects. The results were to serve as a basis for the further development of training courses, infrastructure and support in order to make the use of videos in higher education teaching more efficient, higher quality and more practical.
Method
The method was based on an online questionnaire that took approximately 20 minutes to complete and was aimed at teachers. It collected qualitative and quantitative data on frequency of use, types of videos, didactic applications, support requirements, and accessibility. The focus was on self-produced or specially created teaching videos; simple lecture recordings (podcasts) were deliberately excluded. The questionnaire was distributed decentrally to ensure high response rates. The data was evaluated in a structured manner in work packages, regularly coordinated and centrally documented to promote networking and exchange.
Results
The survey showed that instructional videos are frequently used in higher education, primarily as screencasts or slidecasts, as these can be produced without extensive equipment. The majority of lecturers create the videos themselves, mostly using Camtasia or, for more complex productions, Adobe Premiere Pro. Freeware is also used in some cases. Support services offered by institutions are used, but not to their full extent, and open comments indicate a desire for additional or specialised coaching services. Barriers remain in the form of high production costs, time constraints and a lack of technical or didactic skills. Overall, there is a clear need for targeted support, training, resources and infrastructure to improve quality and efficiency. For detailed results, please see the final report of the project.
Implemented Translation
The project team identified that producing high-quality educational videos is complex and resource-intensive, prompting a reassessment of existing production strategies. In response, support structures were expanded: workshops and training were adapted, awareness of existing resources increased, and centralized contact points for video production were established. These measures aim to simplify access to tools, guidance, and expertise, enabling instructors to create high-quality videos more efficiently while adhering to accessibility and equity guidelines. The outcomes were shared via institutional communication channels and integrated into internal decision-making processes. The institutions involved used the findings to refine their own strategies and adjust support services accordingly, fostering the sustainable integration of instructional videos into higher education.
The project provides, through the systematic collection of data on actual usage practices, an empirical basis for optimising support structures related to teaching and learning videos in higher education. The survey identifies specific areas for action: instructors in particular require support with technically more demanding production formats, practice-oriented training on didactic and technical aspects, as well as low-threshold access to consultation and infrastructure. At the institutional level, the collected data enable a targeted adaptation of support services – ranging from the expansion of workshops and the establishment of central contact points to the provision of suitable tools and resources. As a result, production processes can be made more efficient, identified barriers such as time constraints and lack of expertise can be addressed, and the overall quality of the videos can be improved. For research, the collected data fill an existing gap: they complement the theoretical body of research with empirical insights into actual usage patterns, needs, and obstacles encountered in practice.
