The Effects of Video Podcast on Learning among Midwifery Students:  A Randomized Controlled Trial

Although some studies examined the challenges of using podcasts, there is limited information about the effects of video podcasting on learning outcomes.

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of video podcasting and lecture on learning among midwifery students and to assess their satisfaction with podcasting.

This was a randomized controlled crossover trial. Five‑semester baccalaureate midwifery students of a class were randomized into two seventeen‑person groups to receive education about gynecological diseases in two sessions. In the first session, students in Group A received educational materials through lecture, while their counterparts in Group B received the same materials through video podcasting. In the second session, held 1 week after the first session, students in Group A received educational materials through video podcasting, while their counterparts in Group B received the same materials through lecture. Students’ learning and satisfaction were measured via multiple choice questions and a satisfaction questionnaire, respectively. The paired‑ and the independent‑sample t‑tests were used for within‑ and between‑group comparisons, respectively.

Both lecture and video podcasting significantly increased the mean score of students’ knowledge. However, between‑group difference respecting the posttest mean score of knowledge was not statistically significant (15.3 ± 2.3 vs. 14.5 ± 2.7; P = 0.35). Students were satisfied with video podcasting though they believed that it cannot completely replace traditional lecture.

Video podcasting has the same effects as lecture on learning outcomes among midwifery students. It can be used as a complement to lecture.