Learning from Videos

Unfortunately, most of our students do not know how to watch videos actively so they learn.  They are used to being entertained by videos so they just observe the material passively and at the end, they are ready to move on, not to answer questions.  

There are ways to make watching the video more active so students are learning.  I love Edupuzzle because they have access to so many videos and its easy to edit them so students have to pay attention due to quizzes, etc.  

I can't always access Edupuzzle because the internet is too slow so sometimes I have to download a video directly to my computer right before school.  I can't annotate it, can't add questions so there are other things I can do to make the experience more active than passive.  

The biggest thing is to review the video before you show it so you know if it meets your needs.  Next you should cut the video down into smaller chunks to make it easier for students to pay attention.  I read that the modern child's attention span is quite short so chunking the material into shorter segments is better.  Finally, create guided questions that students have to answer as they watch the movie.  Sometimes, I have my students watch the video, then rewatch it so they can answer the questions better.

Before introducing the video, have the students do a quick write or a pair-share on the topic to activate prior knowledge.  If students think about what they already know on the subject, it makes it easier for them to connect the new material with their prior knowledge.  Furthermore, give them a reason for watching the video such as it has a different way of multiplying binomials, or this has a fun real world example.  It's similar to telling students who their audience is when they write a paper.

Take time to pause the video so students can write down answer, process the information, discuss the material, or ask questions.  This also takes the watching from passive to active.  In addition, take advantage of the pauses by implementing a watch-think-write strategy.  When students watch the segment, they may not write anything down. Once the segment is finished, students discuss the material and they still may not write anything down.  When the discussion is done, they may then answer the questions.

There is a way to take the guided notes several steps further to help increase their understanding.  They can break into groups of two so they can explain the material to each other.  Students can create small voice bits starting with "Did you know....?". What about creating concept maps that tie previous knowledge with newly acquired information?  

Other things to consider doing prior to showing any videos is to check for a transcript. If there is a transcript available for the video, have students read the transcript first.  This way they can create questions they have about the material before watching the video.  Its like previewing the material.  

Furthermore, you could set up a backchat channel so students can discuss the material in reference to the essential questions you've posted prior to the video.  This way they can focus on the material and interact with each other.  If you do a simple search you'll see several backchat sites such as Go Soap Box, or Back Channel Chat.  I'd consider the backchannel chat when rewatching the video after the guided questions have been answered so they can focus on the discussion.

This is just one way to utilize videos actively in the math classroom.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.