Do Higher Production Value Videos Lead to Improved Engagement and Learning Outcomes? A Field Experiment

Sean Alley, Tennessee Tech University
Steve Isbell, Tennessee Tech University

https://doi.org/10.9743/JEO.2025.22.1.15

Abstract

Course content in higher education is increasingly provided via video lectures. Video quality varies widely, from textbook publishers that provide professional quality videos to individual instructors recording videos on their laptops. In this study, we randomly assigned students to one of two videos, one high quality and one lower quality, to measure the causal effect of video quality. We combined this with a difference-in-difference framework to account for possible confounding correlates. We examined the effects on exam scores, homework scores, and student engagement. Our results suggest that video quality has no impact on any of these student outcomes.

Keywords: online courses, video production quality, attention economics, online learning, economic education