Do short screencasts improve learning?

The algebra and calculus skills necessary for the study of all mathematical sciences continue to be a problem for a significant proportion of students, even at an advanced level. It is a particular problem for part-time students whose study is spread over an extended period of time. Not all students have a learning style suited to text books and lectures. It is thought that short audio-visual screencasts of handwritten or pre-typed explanations of common mathematical techniques could be of significant benefit to a wide variety of students, particularly those studying part time. In this article we will report on a MSOR project we have recently undertaken in which we have produced and evaluated the effectiveness of such screencasts