The Usage of Video Tutorials, Personal Support and Written Instructions for Knowledge Acquisition and Refreshment

Purpose: The target of this study is to reveal which aids used are the best method for acquiring knowledge. Especially by the use of Quality management tools regarding spreadsheets and statistics software. Therefore video tutorials, personal support and written instructions, as aids, are compared with and without time pressure. Methodology/Approach: Students of the quality management class participated in two tests in order to capture user behavior. In the first part the students (n = 56) were asked about their user behavior regarding aids after a project that lasted several months. In the second part the students (n = 40) were given two aids and captured which aids they are using. The duration period and the quality of the results were also documented. At the end of both tests, the students were asked about their future favorite aids. Findings: The first test revealed that 73% of the students used the video tutorial as an aid for their work. In future situations the students would work with written instructions, as long as there is no time pressure. If time limitation is a factor, they would rather work with video tutorials again. The second test confirmed that using video tutorials allowed for a shorter duration period. 48% were using the video tutorial while 38% used the written instruction. The suitability rating of the aids as well as the quality of the result did not differ. In future situations, the students would work again with video tutorials with or without time pressure. Research Limitation/implication: The usage of video tutorials, personal support and written instructions for the application of Quality management tools with the use of appropriate software has been examined. The results do not show conclusions about the extent to which the aids are used for the mediation of complex issues. Follow-up studies are required for this purpose. Originality/Value of paper: Among these three aids with regard to time pressure, video tutorials as well as the personal support seem to be the most efficient. If time pressure was applied to the test setting, the video tutorial was preferred. In the considered setting the use of video tutorials is recommended. Category: Research paper