Short instructional videos for the TikTok generation

Abstract This quasi-experimental study examines the effect of short instruction videos on students’ business statistics learning. Two hundred and thirty-one Dutch students attended 6-week online seminars on Business Statistics. One hundred and nineteen students were in an experimental group, and 112 in a control group. Students in the experimental group watched short instructional videos and studied online quizzes at their own pace. In the control group, students followed teachers’ instructions throughout the seminars. It was found students watching short videos significantly outperformed those following teachers’ virtual instruction. Short videos were especially useful for those who were good at math. The research sheds light on the design of hybrid learning, particularly for business statistics education at the university level. HIGHLIGHTS A quasi-experimental research to examine the effects of short instructional videos on students’ statistics learning performance vs. the virtual lectures with teachers. Evidence of the benefits of short videos in statistics education for students who are good at math. Practical experiences sharing for designers of instructional videos. Recommendations for creating short instructional videos in higher education.