Date
Publisher
arXiv
Students differ in how they prefer to engage with learning resources, with some favoring textual materials and others visual or video-based content. Recent advances in generative AI have led CS education research to focus on text-based AI tools for developing learning resources. However, advances in AI video models and the rapid proliferation of AI video generation tools have made it possible for instructors to create high-quality personalized educational videos efficiently and cost-effectively. Understanding students' perceptions of AI-generated videos is thus critical for helping CS instructors know when and how to use them purposefully. To address this gap, we conducted a descriptive post-test survey study in which 170 computing students at two U.S. institutions watched three 3-minute AI videos on the Markdown markup language created with Knowlify. Students then completed a survey about their perceptions of the Markdown videos and their broader views on the use of AI-generated videos in education. Students rated the Markdown videos as high-quality, accurate, and usable, with nearly half unable to determine whether the videos were AI-generated. At the same time, students expressed limited comfort with the widespread adoption of AI videos in the classroom. They preferred AI videos for simple, supplemental, and visual use cases, while expressing concerns about lower-quality or inaccurate content, reduced instructor interaction, and diminished educational value.
Study at a glance
- Question: How do computing students perceive AI-generated instructional videos, and where do they consider them appropriate?
- Setting and data: Two U.S. universities, 170 upper-level computing students in computer science courses.
- Method: Mixed methods descriptive post-test survey with inductive thematic analysis.
Why it matters
Understanding student perceptions of AI-generated videos is critical for helping computing instructors know when and how to deploy them purposefully alongside existing learning resources.
Key findings
- Most students agreed the AI videos were professional (92%), clear (92%), and accurate (88%), though only 50% could clearly tell they were AI-generated.
- Sixty-eight percent of students opposed preferring AI videos over instructor-recorded videos, and 62% disagreed that they would trust AI video information as much as human-presented content.
- Students considered AI videos appropriate for simple topics and visual walkthroughs, but raised major concerns about inaccurate content, reduced instructor interaction, and diminished tuition value.
Summary drafted with AI from the full paper and may contain errors. See the full paper for details.
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