Video tutorial is one of the instruction methods for teaching. It is a method of transferring knowledge by utilizing the use of video as part of the learning process. Despite the advantages of the video tutorial and the advancement of technology, manual handbook usage is still in place. In comprehending an engineering machinery operation e.g. engineering experiment, it is unknown if the usage of video tutorial may increase the users’ learning performance.

Thus, the objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of manual handbook and video tutorial on the specific part of engineering experiment – safety precaution, apparatus, procedure, and housekeeping – on users’ learning performance. Four videos of four selected engineering experiments – Turning, Arc Welding, CNC Milling, and Bench Work – were prepared based on its manual handbooks. Each video tutorial consists of four parts – safety precaution, apparatus, procedure, and housekeeping procedure of the experiment. In total, sixteen engineering students between 19-20 years of age completed the study. They were pseudo-randomly assigned into either the Manual Handbook or Video Tutorial group – eight participants for each group. Participants that were assigned into the Manual Handbook group were asked to read the manual handbook of the four experiments, while the participants that were assigned into the Video Tutorial group were asked to watch four videos of the four experiments. 

Participants’ learning performance was assessed by the quizzes designed based on the content of the manual handbook/video tutorial after each experiment was learnt. In overall, the results reveal the following; (i) Safety precaution part: Video Tutorial group obtained a higher percentage score (61.11%) rather than the Manual Handbook group (36.11%) and the differences are significant [t(14) = 2.679, p = 0.018]; (ii) Apparatus part: Video Tutorial group obtained a higher percentage score (100%) rather than the Manual Handbook group (64.10%) and the differences are significant [t(14) = 9.744, p = 0.00]; (iii) Procedure part: Video Tutorial group obtained a higher percentage score (97.60%) rather than the Manual Handbook group (44.10%) and the differences are significant [t(14) = 12.481, p =0.00]; and (iv) Housekeeping part: Video Tutorial group obtained a higher percentage score (88.60%) rather than the Manual Handbook group (45.20%) and the differences are significant [t(14) = 3.398, p = 0.04]. Video tutorial is indeed more effective than the manual handbook in all categories. As a conclusion, using a video tutorial as the command of instruction for engineering experiment would make the user comprehending better in comparison to the manual handbook.