Impact of short educational videos on learning and retention in undergraduate pharmacology education: a cross-sectional study

Traditional pharmacology education relies heavily on didactic lectures, which may limit student engagement and retention of complex concepts. Short educational videos have emerged as a promising, supplementary tool to enhance learning outcomes in medical education. This study aimed to examine the association between short educational videos and learning, retention, and student engagement in undergraduate pharmacology education.

A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 77 s-year male pharmacy students enrolled in Pharmacology IV at Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Short educational videos (5-7 min) summarizing key lecture content were presented at the end of each lecture. An online questionnaire assessed student perceptions regarding content retention, conceptual understanding, engagement, and exam preparedness. Composite cognitive and engagement scores were calculated, and multiple linear regression analysis identified predictors of higher scores.

Among 77 participants, 94.9% found the videos helpful in reinforcing concepts. For cognitive outcomes, 58.5% agreed the videos enhanced retention, 68.9% found them useful in recalling drug mechanisms, and 67.6% reported improved long-term retention. Regarding engagement, 72.8% felt more confident in exam preparation, and 71.4% were more likely to attend lectures. Students who relied less on external video sources had significantly higher cognitive scores (beta = 1.66, 95% CI: 0.11 to 3.21, p = 0.036), while those who primarily read textbooks and slides had lower scores (beta = -2.56, 95% CI: -4.45 to -0.66, p = 0.009). Higher engagement scores were strongly associated with improved cognitive outcomes (beta = 0.68, 95% CI: 0.41 to 0.95, p < 0.001).

Short educational videos were associated with enhanced student learning, retention, and engagement in undergraduate pharmacology education. These findings support the integration of brief video summaries as an adjunct to traditional lecture-based instruction.