The impact of lecture playback speeds on concentration and memory

BACKGROUND: The information required to be learned and retained by medical students has continued to increase over the years. The stress that medical students face has already been highlighted in several studies, however, this in combination with a post-pandemic educational system subsequently generated a shift in medical education towards asynchronous streaming of daily lectures as part of the curriculum with variable playback speed options. METHODS: This paper aims to study the effectiveness of playback speeds, principally that of 1.5x and 2x playback speeds. One objective of this study is to analyze the existing literature regarding how playback speeds may impact learning, and to highlight the need for additional research. It has become apparent that there is not enough literature to support the role that playback speeds have in concentration and/or long-term memory retention in medical students. Due to this lack of information on the topic, this paper additionally highlights a study conducted on second year medical students at one university to assess the associations that may exist between lecture playback speeds of 1.5x and 2x and concentration and long-term retention of memory. RESULTS: Based on the data collected, it was found that there was no significant difference in student concentration or long-term memory retention with regards to lecture playback speeds. CONCLUSIONS: Although more studies are needed to better understand the topic, it is the current recommendation of the authorial team that students are free to watch medical school lectures at their preferred speed without worry of changes in learning ability.