Unveiling cognitive qualities: Evaluating popular YouTube videos for physics education

Year 2026, Volume: 9 Issue: 1, 63 - 76, 31.01.2026

Fatma Mohamed Taher , Semiral Öncü

https://doi.org/10.31681/jetol.1835750

Abstract

YouTube has revolutionized learning by providing access to instructional videos; however, concerns about video quality and instructional effectiveness persist. Despite the popularity of instructional YouTube videos, limited research exists on their cognitive characteristics, particularly in science education. This knowledge gap hampers effective video selection/integration into educational settings. This study aims to identify the association between such videos’ cognitive quality and their popularity, as measured by the Video Power Index, along with content and duration. The goal is to provide comparative information and better means to guide educators in video selection. To achieve this, the study proposes using the Multimedia Principles Rubric (MPR) as a filtering tool to assess cognitive quality based on instructional and multimedia content. A multistage cluster sampling method was employed to select the 60 most-viewed YouTube videos from five content areas of physics, considering three ranges of video length and a specific online age. Regression analysis revealed that the mean MPR could be weakly predicted from popularity. Additionally, three-to-six-minute videos demonstrated better cognitive quality, while six-to-twenty-minute videos were more popular. ANOVAs indicated that cognitive quality was significantly dependent on content and video length. The results shed light on the cognitive landscape of such videos, providing insights. Popularity alone is not a good measure of cognitive quality. It is important to assess the cognitive characteristics of instructional science videos. Integrating online videos into courses requires consideration of instructional design principles and cognitive processes. Careful evaluation using the MPR can help select high-quality instructional resources for effective science education.

Keywords

filtering tool , cognitive , instructional video , video popularity , rubric , YouTube

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