Using animations to support student learning in undergraduate physiology

The aim of this study was to investigate if videos created by teaching staff had a positive impact on student learning of integrative physiological concepts. Eighteen undergraduate students enrolled on a sport and exercise science degree attended an introduction to immunology short course. All students were taught together and then split into two groups stratified by performance on a recent summative assessment. One group used the taught materials to prepare for a test, and the other group was provided with three animations alongside the taught materials. All students sat matching tests on the day of the course and repeated the test 1 week later. The intervention group scored on average 22% (95% CI 11, 33) higher than the control group on test one. The scores from both groups reduced by approximately 10% on test two. Results on the multiple-choice questions were comparable between groups, with the main difference observed in short answer questions. Students in the intervention group identified that the animations helped to simplify processes by providing a more visual way of learning. This may suggest that the videos are most efficacious for helping the understanding of biological processes rather than the recollection of facts or information.