Is there a new skill you want to learn? Chances are there’s a video on the internet that can teach you everything you need to know. While this is true for nearly any topic we want our students to explore, particular videos have a greater impact on learning than others.
Today’s learners are inundated by digital information. Educators, therefore, must incorporate it into their instruction strategically, selecting mediums that will give them the most bang for their buck.
Studies have shown that short videos have a significant positive impact on student learning. The key lies in making information comprehendible in clear and creative ways. Educational applications that feature brief and relevant content do just that! It’s easy to accelerate learning with concise, motivating videos that engage learners, inspire collaborative learning, and target learning goals.
Let’s take a closer look at how short videos amplify learning in any learning environment.
Engage Learners
Educators often show videos to break up the monotony of a lecture. After all, watching a video is more engaging. Right?
It depends. While students might welcome a lengthy viewing session in class, studies suggest that shorter videos heighten their focus and, for some, improve their long-term retention of material (Slemmons 2018). Concentrating on a brief bit of content gives learners time to digest and appreciate what they’re shown, motivating them to engage further with the lesson.
Combining creativity and entertainment with valuable learning experiences also amplifies student engagement. Edpuzzle, for example, motivates students to pay closer attention to important details by having them interact with a once ordinary YouTube clip. Apps like Flipgrid and Edily encourage everyone to get in front of the camera to share their knowledge and interests. What’s more, Edily’s TikTok-like algorithm personalizes users’ experiences by propagating content users will want to watch. It’s hard to keep from scrolling as they discover concise, inspiring videos one after another.
The only thing more motivating than short, relevant videos on topics is seeing or, better yet, creating content with your teacher or classmate!
Inspire Collaborative Learning
Short video platforms inspire a community of learners and educators to create together. The educational content in video-sharing apps encourages collaboration among users through creating, viewing, and sharing videos (Zhang 2020). Whether you want to star in your own clip or add commentary over that of another educator, your creation adds to the wealth of information available at students’ fingertips.
This trending format is collaborative among students too. As users ask questions and comment on content that pique their intellectual interests, they consequently build relationships among users with shared curiosities. Participating in shared experiences makes learning more authentic, helping learners to see themselves as part of the learning community.
Target Learning Goals
It’s simple to meet clear objectives when embedding targeted videos into lessons. Long videos are often bogged down with extraneous details, making it difficult for learners to identify the information truly necessary to understand a new concept. On the other hand, chunking material into smaller bits and placing greater emphasis on important content allows learners to better absorb information at their own pace (Brame 2015).
Edily takes this a step further. Subject Mind Maps encourage learners to narrow their focus within an overarching topic. As learners work their way from a broad topic down to the smaller subtopics, they draw connections between them. Couple this unique feature with numerous short videos within each subtopic and suddenly helping students comprehend a challenging learning goal is possible.
With so much to teach in a limited time, educators need to make the most of each lesson. Short videos engage learners, making learning goals both explicit and entertaining. Best of all, when videos link together, their content can reach the masses, bringing teachers’ educational reach to new heights.
Resources
Alber, R. (2019, March 18). Using video content to amplify learning. Edutopia. Retrieved October 31, 2021, from https://www.edutopia.org/article/using-video-content-amplify-learning
Brame, C.J. (2015). Effective educational videos. Retrieved [October 30, 2021] from http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/effective-educational-videos/
Slemmons, K., Anyanwu, K., Hames, J., Grabski, D., Mlsna, J., Simkins, E., & Cook, P. (2018). The impact of video length on learning in a middle-level flipped science setting: Implications for diversity inclusion. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 27(5), 469–479. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-018-9736-2
Zhang, T. (2020). A brief study on short video platform and Education. Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Literature, Art and Human Development (ICLAHD 2020), 497(Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research). https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.201215.494