As we’ve mentioned before, everybody has something to gain in terms of digital video’s rise within the classroom—students, parents, teachers, administrators, and institutions alike.
In fact, according to a recent poll, 92% of people think video increases student satisfaction with their learning experience, while another 83% think it increases teacher satisfaction as well (source). Thanks to digital video, abstract topics that once seemed far too difficult to grasp or teach have suddenly become much more understandable, not to mention accessible.
We’ve already examined how video is helping students become better learners. Now, let’s put the spotlight on the teachers. What do they have to gain by using video in the classroom? How is it impacting their abilities to effectively do their jobs? Let’s find out!
1. Videos Increase Student Engagement
First thing’s first. The more engaged a student is, the easier it is for he or she to learn. Digital video captures and holds attention, especially when it’s delivered in engaging bite-sized pieces.
When videos are interactive, as opposed to passive, they can work wonders for a teacher in the classroom. Dense materials can be broken down visually and explained much more easily, making it both simpler to teach and more painless to learn.
Videos can also be paused, rewound, and replayed, several times, even while on the go. This serves to expand a teacher’s reach outside the classroom as well.
2. Videos Create Remote Learning Opportunities
Expanding upon that last point, video, by nature, is intrinsically mobile. In fact, more than 75% of worldwide video viewing takes place via a mobile device (source).
What does that mean for teachers? It means less time spent repeating complex subject matter inside the classroom and more time spent teaching “on the go.”
Suddenly, teachers can go home with their students (figuratively, of course), delivering lessons and explaining homework via a mobile phone. This frees up valuable time, which can be used in other ways, such as research assignments, office hours, and more.
Simply put, this increased mobility creates an entirely new dimension for the classroom.
3. Videos Facilitate Personalized Feedback and Assistance
Every person is different, meaning we all learn differently and operate at different speeds. In that respect, another advantage digital video is creating for teachers is the ability to hold quick one-on-one sessions with every student in the class.
Students who don’t grasp a concept the first time around can always watch a video again and again, which is often much better than interrupting an entire class in the middle of a lesson.
Or, better yet, students can record and submit their own videos, which the teacher can then react and respond to personally. This means creating both a safe environment for a student to request further assistance and a more efficient way for a teacher to scale his or her time.
4. Videos Offer Great Data and Insights
The last thing we’ll touch on here is how great digital video is in terms of keeping teachers well informed. Many videos now contain analytic features, enabling teachers to track student engagement and attendance while viewing.
Imagine being able to definitively say that 90% of the class did the required reading assignment, or that 80% made it at least two-thirds of the way through. Those are the types of metrics one can expect from video consumption, and they’re game-changers for teachers.
No longer will a teacher need to explain to a parent all the qualitative reasons a student might be underperforming in a classroom, as there will be plenty of quantitative data as well.
In Summary
As you can see, teachers really stand to benefit with respect to video, both in and out of the classroom. It helps them create a less distracted, more engaging environment in which to learn.
That’s the key word when it comes to video in education: engaging. Simply recording an hour-long video of a teacher giving a lecture lends itself to the old way of classroom thinking, and it leaves much to be desired. Keeping videos concise, interactive, and engaging are how teachers can easily take advantage of all the benefits outlined above.
We’re experts in video’s role in education because we’ve built a complete online learning solution in VidVersity. Our unique combination of products and services offer a complete solution for your online learning objectives.
Simply put, we’re invested in helping teachers become more effective at their craft… through video.