A Retrospective Analysis of Interactive Videos and Skill Development in First-Year Seminars at a Higher Education Institution

Interactive videos can be a powerful tool in higher education. Soft skills are crucial indicators of success during the first year of university. Consequently, many universities have integrated first-year seminar courses into their programs to equip students with essential skills for academic success. This retrospective quantitative study investigates the impact of using interactive videos to enhance skills in first-year seminars. It analyses a sample of 538 female students from various colleges in Qatar University who took a first-year seminar course in the Fall 2022, Spring 2022, or Spring 2023 semesters. Across 19 classes, these students were provided with six interactive videos covering the following skills: transferable skills, time management, critical thinking, problem-solving, growth mindset, learned optimism, and academic integrity. Students were retrospectively divided into three groups based on how many interactive videos they watched: 0, 1–5, or 6. Controlling for students’ high school grade-point averages, we compared scores on the final exam between groups using ANCOVA. Scores differed significantly among the three groups (p < 0.05). Specifically, those who viewed all interactive videos had the highest scores in the skill application scenarios in the final exam. In conclusion, this study is the first to report that interactive videos might benefit specific higher education students who need to further develop their skills but are unmotivated to do the extra work and learn from the additional resources provided interactively.