A comparison of learning acquisition from a videotaped and teacher presented lecture-demonstration teaching module

The acquisition of learning from a video-taped lecture-demonstration was compared to that of the same teacher presented lecture-demonstration. Twenty-six senior physical therapy students took an investigator-made pretest, heard the one hour lecture-demonstration, and immediately took a post test. Alternate test forms were used. Four months later, the same students took a second posttest to determine retention of material learned. The mean scores of 2 groups were compared from pretest to posttest 1, pretest to posttest 2, and posttest 1 to posttest 2 differences. There was gain in knowledge acquired from the pretest to posttest 1. There was a loss of this gain over time; the mean scores of posttest 2 were very close to those of the pretest. There was no significant difference between the 2 groups for any of the comparisons using the~ test. Videotapes can be an acceptable alternative to teacher presented lecture demonstration for a preselected physical therapy topic.