Beyond Audio: An Empirical Assessment of AI-Generated Podcasts and Videocasts in Business Education

Abstract

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is opening new possibilities for personalized, engaging instructional content in higher education. Extending our earlier work on AI-generated podcasts, this study examines the addition of AI-generated videocasts (video overviews) alongside podcasts in an undergraduate business analytics course, asking whether a multimodal (audio + video) approach improves students' learning experience beyond audio alone in a subject area that is conceptually dense and data-intensive. The study takes a quasi-experimental approach, comparing two consecutive sections of the same course: one with access only to AI-generated audio podcasts (Fall 2025, n = 24), and one where the same podcasts were supplemented with companion AI-generated videocasts (Spring 2026, n = 20). Student-perceived academic performance, engagement, and satisfaction were measured through a 15-item survey covering prior podcast experience, AI familiarity, usage patterns, perceived impact on quiz preparation and comprehension, effectiveness relative to traditional study methods, and open-ended feedback. Results showed a consistent, though modestly powered, advantage for the multimodal condition: students in the audio + video section rated the materials more favorably than the audio-only section on nearly every measured dimension, with a statistically significant increase in willingness to recommend the format for other courses (84.2% vs. 47.6% favorable, p = .026). Qualitative responses reinforced this pattern, with audio + video students more often citing improved comprehension and valuing multiple ways to engage with material, while a smaller subset preferred less synthetic-sounding narration. Across both sections, most students rated podcasts as at least as effective as traditional study methods, and roughly half had never used podcasts as a learning tool before the course. These findings offer preliminary but encouraging evidence that integrating AI generated video and audio content strengthens students' learning experience and engagement in business analytics education, while underscoring the need for larger, multi-term samples and objective performance measures to confirm the effect. The study contributes to the emerging literature on AI-enhanced instructional design by identifying student-reported benefits and design considerations relevant to integrating generative AI tools into business education curricula.