Preparing to Evaluate Redox YouTube Videos for Representational and Conceptual Quality 

Yezierski Research Group

Arden Fry

• Major: Chemistry

• Minor: Art/Architecture History

Shea Vasquez

• Major: AY Integrated Science Education

Gabby Peoples

• Major: Chemistry, Pre-Health Studies

Dr. Yezierski

• Professor of Chemistry 

YouTube has become an increasingly common learning resource for students studying chemistry. Research shows that approximately 75% of students use YouTube to learn chemistry (Cherif, Siuda, Movahedzadeh, Martyn, Cannon, & Ayesh, 2014). Because so many students rely on these videos for educational purposes, it is important to evaluate how effectively they support learning. Recently, the group used Richard Mayer's Multimedia Principles to generate guidance on features that help students learn (with YouTube). Multimedia objects, like YouTube videos, focused on chemistry content also relies heavily on theory surrounding the visual representations of phenomena (Barman et al., 2026; Magnone et al., 2023). Johnstone's Triangle helps us organize the representations and their connections to one another. (Johnstone, 2010). In chemistry, oxidation and reduction is a particularly difficult topic for students to conceptually understand, one for which they may turn to YouTube for help. This research aims to evaluate popular oxidation-reduction YouTube videos using representational domains in chemistry, and potential for building conceptual understanding. This analysis requires competencies in chemistry representations (Johnstone's Domains) as well as robust chemistry content knowledge in redox chemistry. This poster explores how such content knowledge and competencies can be realized by an emerging researcher. 

How can content knowledge, representational knowledge, and methodological expertise be developed to evaluate YouTube videos on redox?

Data Collection

•Carefully review works by Alex Johnstone on chemistry representations (Johnstone, 2010; Kozma & Russell, 1997).

•Take the Reduction-Oxidation Concept Inventory (ROXCI) and carefully review related published papers (Brandriet & Bretz, 2014).

•Score ROXCI

•Review checklist that the YRG has established for evaluating redox videos.

•Practice applying checklist to evaluate inter-rater agreement to build understanding of items.

•Revisit ROXCI items and representations to ensure accurate content evaluation within videos.

Data Analysis

•Identify conceptual and representational knowledge gaps by comparing ROXCI content with principles in from literature on representations and conceptual redox knowledge.

•Engage in conceptual discussions with group about ROXCI content to bridge knowledge gap.

•Identify and quantify the literature sources embedded in the checklist for video evaluation.

•Map missed ROXCI items onto the checklist items, attending to nature of knowledge gaps (with the aim of closing them).

•Analysis revealed a consistent pattern of struggling with electron transfer by focusing on rearrangements and bond formations instead of ions and electron transfer.

•New awareness of misconceptions allows me to better understand and apply the checklist.

•Checklist focuses largely on ROXCI misconceptions.

•I closed knowledge gaps involving the particulate level and electron transfer.

•I succeeded in aligning my ideas with those in the checklist and am able to efficiently understand and apply to checklist.

•Future research with the group includes analyzing redox YouTube videos and applying the checklist 

Limitations

•Study does not examine student learning directly from YouTube but instead analyzes video features based on existing theories. Addressing this would require follow up on conclusions with a human subjects’ study.

•Early results show little variability among redox YouTube videos indicating a systematic issue in how general chemistry is taught yielding limitations on future quantitative analysis.

•Checklist is likely going to be modified as emerging researchers contribute to data collection; however, changes will be guided by the literature cited herein.

1. Barman, M. E., Mikes-Thacker, M. L., Moorehead, M. E., Wissman, M., Gerken, W., Ryland, S. M., & Yezierski, E. J. (2026). Examining generative, extraneous, and essential features in chemistry YouTube Videos: Recommendations for Practice, Journal of Chemical Education, 103(4), 1768-1778. 

2. Brandriet, A. R., & Bretz, S. L. (2014). Measuring meta-ignorance through the lens of confidence: Examining students' redox misconceptions about oxidation numbers, charge, and electron transfer. Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 15(4), 729-746.

3. Brandriet, A. R., & Bretz, S. L. (2014). The development of the redox concept inventory as a measure of students’ symbolic and particulate redox understandings and confidence. Journal of Chemical Education, 91(8), 1132-1144.

4. Cherif, A. H., Siuda, J. E., Movahedzadeh, F., Martyn, M., Cannon, C., & Ayesh, S. I. (2014). College Students’ Use of YouTube videos in learning Biology and Chemistry concepts. Pinnacle Educational Research & Development, 2(6), 1-14.

5. Johnstone, A. H. (2010). You can’t get there from here. Journal of Chemical Education, 87(1), 22-29.

6. Kozma, R. B., & Russell, J. (1997). Multimedia and understanding: Expert and novice responses to different representations of chemical phenomena. Journal of Research in Science Teaching: The Official Journal of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, 34(9), 949-968.

7. Magnone, K. Q., Ebert, J. A., Creeden, R., Karlock, G., Loveday, M., Blake, E., Pratt, J. M., Schafer, A. G. L., & Yezierski, E. J. (2023). Cognitively loaded: An investigation of educational chemistry YouTube videos’ adherence to Mayer’s Multimedia Principles. Journal of Chemical Education, 100(2), 432-441.

Undergraduate researchers, Hannah Prater, Shea Vaquera, Gabby Peoples

Communication 

• My research experience has significantly strengthened my communication skills, especially when working with my faculty mentor. I have learned how to clearly organize and present my ideas to make the most out of every meeting allowing me to deepen my understanding of the project. Additionally, I have strengthened the ability to consistently update my faculty mentor with my progress to ensure alignment with the project's content and guidelines.

Professionalism

• Creating this research poster enhanced my professionalism, especially within a time-limited work environment. Since meetings with my research mentor were limited, I learned to come prepared and used each meeting to efficiently gain meaningful feedback. I prioritized meeting deadlines and worked to continuously improve my draft, demonstrating dedication and accountability throughout this project.

Technology

• Developing my research poster introduced me to new technology, as it was my first time using PowerPoint. This experience has helped me expand my technical skills and adapt quickly to an unfamiliar platform. I became more open to learning new tools and gained confidence in using PowerPoint efficiently, which made the process of creating my poster much more effective.