The effect of watching lecture videos at 2× speed on memory retention performance of medical students: An experimental study

Aim: This study aimed to determine how watching lecture videos at 1× and 2× speeds affects memory retention in medical students. Methods: A posttest-only experimental design was utilized. The participants were 60 Year-1 and Year-2 medical students. The participants were assigned to one of two groups through stratified randomization: Group 1 would watch the video at 1× speed, and Group 2 at 2× speed. Their performance was assessed using a test comprising 20 multiple-choice questions. The test has been applied immediately after watching the video (Immediate test), and, again after one week (Delayed test). Parametric and non-parametric statistical tests were performed. Results: In the Immediate test, the mean score of the 1× speed group was 11.26 ± 4.06, while 2× speed group’s mean score was 10.16 ± 2.46. The difference was not significant t(58) = 1.26, p >.05. In the Delayed test, the mean score of 1× speed group was 9.66 ± 3.94, while 2× speed group’s mean score was 8.36 ± 2.80. The difference was not significant t(55) = 1.42, p >.05. Conclusions: Watching the video lecture at 2× speed did not impair memory retention in medical students. This may help students to save time in their dense curricula. Practice points Many medical students watch lecture videos at 2× (double) speed to save time. While this is a time-saver, the negative impact on their learning is unclear. This paper describes a randomized trial that measures the learning impact when medical students watch an instructional video at 2× speed and finds that there is no significant negative impact on their learning.