Xtranormal

Review the journal article  and reflect on the following questions: (1) What is the impact of videos on learning? and (2) What are the benefits and limitations of using videos for teaching?

The impact of videos on learning comes down to the simple premise of allowing an alternate avenue for which students can inquire, explore and express ideas and knowledge.  Videos in education have changed from being the filmstrip shown on the projector by the teacher to the film produced and directed by the student.  This power shift embraces engagement and encourages personal perspective and ownership of what is to be learned.  Video creation allows students opportunities to creatively express ideas using higher level thinking skill, as it requires students to think both artistically and logically.  The use of the internet allows the students to share and discuss their ideas with a broader audience.  If you limit the length of the video, you force students to think critically about what information is truly necessary to include, and this provides authenticity to the project.  The constructivist theory and approach, which is referred to on pg 16 of our reading, lends itself naturally to the art of student created video experiences. 

Videos can be useful when it is easier to demonstrate a concept than it is to describe the concept.  The vast amount of how-to-videos on YouTube is ample evidence.  It is much easier to learn how to reskin a drum by watching someone do it then it is to read about it or attend a lecture on it, for instance.  It also gives the students some control of their learning.  Videos also allow content to be viewed, as often as desired, whenever it is desired.  This makes it accessible to learners at their convenience, and allows learners to reabsorb content as often as necessary to gain understanding.  The learner can take more ownership of his/her own learning.

Having videos allows teachers to address many of the challenges face in the classroom with low reading levels and transient populations.  As students come and go, teachers can build a library of videos that can help demonstrate many skills for the students.  Students can access these tools at anytime upon return or as a skill may need to be refreshed.  This allows students to feel less like a burden as their return to the classroom is creates anxiety as they are embarrassed to ask the teacher for missed work, make times to meet to catch up on work, and for extra help because they missed school.  Some of the stress in this transition could be greatly alleviated if the student can control some of his/her own learning.

There are some challenges as videos can be time consuming to put together from shooting to editing.  Also many school divisions limit sights and accessibility to equipment and programs.  And like many forms of technology, as our reading pointed out, it is not beneficial to students if it is being used incorrectly.  Simply putting together a non-interactive video is the same as an hour-long lecture.  Students need to be able to interact with the video.  How you use technology is the most important piece of integrating it into the classroom.