One spring afternoon, I heard a knock on my door. It was my 10 year old neighbor wanting to show me the latest gymnastics move she just perfected. As I watched her tumble and fly into the air, I asked her “How did you learn how to do that?” (also thinking if I tried it I would be plenty sore). Her reply, “YouTube”, as she went back to her Ipad that was sitting on the porch steps. It doesn’t take a 10 year old watching a video to know that videos have become a big part of our lives and way of learning. How can we leverage videos for learning in online courses? Why should we?
Videos are an easy choice for many reasons. Visual stimulation grabs student attention and students tend to respond better when text is combined with video. Videos can provide an alternative approach for students who are having difficulty with abstract concepts. The convenience of videos is a plus for many learners, they can view it on a phone, tablet, or computer. Videos give them the ability to quickly start and stop to complete integrated activities or just if life gets in the way. With the development of YouTube and other platforms, there is a growing amount of freely available, high quality videos on a range of topics.
You can record your own videos with the use of phones, tablets and low cost cameras. Free editing software allows you to cut and adjust the video for your specific needs.
Having students respond in video is a powerful way to engage students and build a community of learners. Tools like FlipGrid, Padlet and Voice Thread can make discussions more engaging. Tools like ThingLink, Adobe Spark and other video creation tools allow you to use static pictures to create engaging video content and allows your students to do the same. You can even create animated videos that showcase your content with free applications such as PowToon, Biteable and Animaker.
Need help selecting, finding or creating engaging video content for your course. Schedule a meeting with Lisa, GSEHD’s Instructional Designer. We’ll work on a solution for adding engagement to your course.
Adapted from: “Strengths and Weaknesses of Using Educational Video.” Strengths and Weaknesses of Using Educational Video | Centre for Innovation and Excellence in Learning, ciel.viu.ca/learning-technologies-innovation/developing-using-media-content/creating-audio-video/strengths-and-weaknesses-using-educational-video
