On the Convenience of Speeding Up Lecture Recordings: Increased Playback Speed Reduces Learning

Audio and video lectures give students much freedom to study where and when they like. These digital media formats usually also give students flexibility to choose the playback speed. In this study we conducted a simple experiment to assess the effects of the playback speed on learning. A total of 20 participants were recruited using convenience sampling. The participants were divided into two groups, one half listening to a podcast at normal speed and the other at double speed, and thereafter completed a multiple-choice test. The results showed that the test scores were significantly lower at double playback speed. These results may have implications for teachers and students.