Comparing Remote Learning Between Live Lectures and Self-paced Interactive Tutorials for Learning an Introduction to Blockchain

Abstract—Online learning in universities in Thailand is still
a problem in terms of adaptation and finding a suitable way
to learn. During the Covid-19 pandemic, most teachers give
live lectures online via video conferencing platforms to teach
students; however, there is still room for improvement. This paper
experiments with the use of interactive tutorials as an alternative
to live online teaching for learning a complex topic. Blockchain is
the technology underlying the popular cryptocurrency, Bitcoin,
and has been gaining attention, but it is a complex technology
with limited learning resources. Therefore, we chose to create
an interactive tutorial on the topic of an ‘Introduction to
Blockchain’. We expected this instruction method to be more
effective than live online lectures. A between-subjects user study
was conducted to compare two modes of instructions using 2
student sample groups. A control group of 7 students learned
online with an instructor via a video conferencing program,
Zoom, and an experimental group of 7 students learned the
content through the interactive tutorial we created. The average
post-test scores of the students who studied with the interactive
tutorial were better than that of the students who studied in a
live online lecture. A within-subjects study was also conducted
to understand students’ preferences between the two modes. It
was found that the students preferred learning with interactive
tutorials more than live online lectures, but a disadvantage was
that they could not ask clarifying questions about the content
when needed while using the interactive tutorial.
Index Terms—remote learning, live lecture, interactive tutorial,
blockchain