Use of instructional videos in leadership education in higher education under COVID-19: A qualitative study

Students also expressed that they were not able to ask teachers questions immediately after watching the videos. In addition, some students stated that they may not pay full attention in lectures after understanding the course content from the videos before lectures (N = 2). 3.2. Video design In terms of video design, this study investigated two aspects: 1) video quality and features that contributed to students’ learning, and 2) general suggestions for improvement. First, the majority of the students thought that the quality of the videos was good (N = 21). Students thought that the combination of the theory-related videos and the case-based videos provided a variety of video format, which could enhance their interest in the videos (N = 3). For case-based videos, students believed that the videos with real persons acting out the sce- nario (i.e., role-play videos) had good production. The topics of these videos were also related to students’ lives (N = 3). As elaborated by a student: “I also think the quality is good. At least, the production has thought about the things that are closely related to [students’] daily life, especially those about the scenario-based videos. Some of the scenario-based videos are about group projects, some are about arguments between family members, etc. These topics are closely related to our daily lives.” (Group 2 Line 379–381) For theory-related videos, students perceived that various features of theory-related videos had contributed to their learning. Students enjoyed the animation (N = 3), and the interesting

animation helped their understanding (N = 10). Besides, the theory-related videos were very structured and explained the theories clearly. Model explanation was helpful to students’ learn- ing (N = 16). The arrows, list and organization in the theory-related videos made the theories and the causal relationships easy to understand (N = 7). As stated by a student: “I think there are some definitions and models in the clip, which can help me understand the topic better. The animation and narration are very clear . . . step-by-step . . . what the first step is, and what the second step is. The videos let me clearly know how to proceed, the sequence and the like. They allow me to understand the topics more clearly, with guidance, and in a systematic way.” (Group 2 Line 532–535) Besides, the combination of visual and audio stimulation could improve students’ concen- tration (N = 12). The analysis and discussion of examples in the theory-related videos and the blended learning exercise facilitated students’ self-reflection and the development of critical thinking skills (N = 6). In the theory-related videos, the use of discussion or interactive mode for theory learning was more interesting for students (N = 3). However, in some of the theory- related videos, the script of the narration directly replicated the visual content of the videos, and students thought that this presentation style was boring (N = 3). Second, in terms of ways to improve the video quality, students suggested improving the

audio quality of the videos (N = 10). Moreover, students believed that the length of each video should be shortened (e.g. within 5 or 10 minutes) (N = 3), and they preferred the videos to have a faster pace (N = 2). For the case-based videos, students would like to have more varia- tion of video format, so they could have stronger impression of the videos. Besides, students preferred story telling or role-play video production because these presentation styles were more interesting and engaging for them (N = 14). PLOS ONE Qualitative evaluation of virtual teaching and learning videos in leadership education PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0291861 September 21, 2023 10 / 28