Open access lecture videos: sharing veterinary bacteriology and mycology on YouTube

During the COVID-19 pandemic, educators rapidly pivoted their instructional approaches. While this period of disruption is behind us, we are left with a legacy of experiences that can continue to benefit learners. Open educational resources improve accessibility in the classroom, and for learners globally without access to well-resourced institutional libraries. In the 2023-2024 academic year, lecture videos for Veterinary Bacteriology and Mycology (a 3-credit, second year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) course at the University of Saskatchewan) were published on YouTube. Two student cohorts were surveyed about their use of the videos, and YouTube analytics was used to describe how videos were accessed globally. Students generally favored these prerecorded videos, citing improved video quality (24%) and shorter duration (36%) compared to other courses where in-person lectures were filmed. Seventy-three percent of students reported that having these videos on YouTube improved accessibility. From August 2023 through December 2024, the YouTube channel received >230 000 views from 86 countries. Approximately 6% of views originated in Canada while 62% were from low- and middle-income countries. This exercise was a positive experience yielding an easy to access repository of content to share with learners locally and globally. Other instructors are encouraged to seek out opportunities for the creation of open resources. Future studies should assess the impacts of online video sharing platforms on student learning.