Procedural knowledge acquisition in a second-year nursing course. Effectiveness of a digital video-based collaborative learning-by-design activity using hypervideo

BackgroundWhile the use of digital technologies in collaborative design tasks have gained acceptance amongst educational researchers and instructors, few studies have analysed the application of video-supported collaborative learning-by-design (VSC-LBD) in the authentic setting of professional education and training. ObjectivesThis study on VSC-LBD investigated the learning processes and outcomes of nursing students who collaboratively used a hypervideo authoring tool to learn the procedure about urinary catheter insertion. We hypothesized that the students who collaboratively used a hypervideo authoring tool to learn about a professional procedure would outperform those exposed to a traditional lesson on the same procedure. Further, we assumed that the students who created an instructional video from scratch would obtain higher learning scores than those who worked on existing footage. MethodsParticipants (N = 60) worked in groups and were assigned to three conditions: in the first each group recorded a video while simulating the procedure and then turned the footage into a hypervideo (VSC-LBD1); in the second condition each group already received the raw video to turn it into a hypervideo (VSC-LBD1); in the third participants attended a traditional lesson (control). Pre- and post-tests measured procedural knowledge acquisition. The co-regulation episodes within the groups that produced the best and worst videos were assessed and measured. Results and ConclusionsThe students in the two VSC-LBD conditions significantly outperformed those in the control condition. No differences were found between making an original video and using existing footage. More co-regulatory processing episodes were found in the best video group compared to the other groups. TakeawaysThis study supports theoretical assumptions on the value of VSC-LBD in authentic learning environments and provide useful information to instructors willing to adopt collaborative use of interactive video tools.