Using Videos to Teach Online Courses: Lecture-Recorded Videos VS Non-Lecture-Recorded Videos

Abstract

Online course delivery suddenly became imperative with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. One way to enhance these courses is to provide course videos. There are currently two types of course videos, one recorded from live lectures and the other prepared by professors outside of a classroom setting. This paper compares the pros and cons of the two basic types of videos from instructor and student perspectives, based on a review of the literature and experiences in tax accounting courses at a major regional university. Interestingly, the findings suggest that students in both undergraduate and graduate courses prefer non-lecture-recorded videos over lecture-recorded videos. Reasons for this preference include shorter time per video and continuous flow of content. The findings suggest that online teaching with non-lecture-recorded videos made by professors is a good alternative to synchronous online teaching via platforms such as Zoom and is preferred by many students.