Why should we try Video-Based Learning?

To make a case for Video-Based Learning, we need to first clarify the value proposition of using videos for learning, in addition to the affordances of videos discussed in the previous post. We would also need to consider why current use of videos for learning is not satisfactory and in what ways Video-Based Learning offers a viable alternative.

Why use video for learning?

Video is an enduring medium of communications, making use of both the audio and visual mode to transmit messages. Its use for educational purposes can be traced back to the 1970s, with the releasing its first volume of papers in 1975. However, the use of videos for educational purposes could have started much earlier; Cuban (1986) dates the use of films and other audio-visual programmes back to the 1920s.

In the case of Singapore, schools started using videos to support classroom teaching and learning in as early as 1967, where the use of educational television began in 1967 with Singapore Educational Media (SEM). It became an integral part of the curriculum with the establishment of Curriculum Development Institute of Singapore (CDIS) in 1980, which produced both print and non-print resources, including educational television programmes, for schools’ use.

From the days of videocassette, CD-ROMS, VCD, DVD to Blue Ray and digital files, from television broadcast to video-streaming, from analog videos to digital videos, technology has not rendered video irrelevant or obsolete; instead, technological advances have made it easier than before to use video, evident from the rise of YouTube and YouTube users who have found fame (Ligato, 2015).

The video medium has also been given a new lease of life in the currently technologically saturated environment. Technological advances have transformed videos from a linear mode of presentation to a non-linear and interactive medium, best illustrated with this interactive video produced by Rapt Media for Deloitte. This potential to offer a personalized engagement experience can greatly enhance the communication prowess of videos and thus make a positive impact for learning.

How are videos currently being used for learning?

By analysing 20 sets of lesson documents submitted to an online portal for teachers between May and Nov 2016, we found that teachers’ use of videos in general falls under three categories, namely for formative assessment, activation of prior knowledge, and delivery of content. We also found that teachers’ use of videos for learning is often unsatisfactory due to weakness in lesson design and enactment.

1. Video production for formative assessment

The enactment typically involves the teacher assigning students video production tasks where they record their performance and upload the recorded video to the school’s learning management system. Students comment on each other’s video using a rubric and offer feedback to their peers as to how their performance can be improved.

The effectiveness of this approach depends on whether students see the connection between what they have learnt and what they are expected to do (i.e. the video production task), and if the rubrics students use to assess their peers’ videos is self-explanatory and contain initial tips to improve performance. Often, these conditions for success were not observed, and students tended to go through motion without understanding the rationale for the teacher’s instructional moves.

2. Videos for activation of prior knowledge

This enactment typically involves the teacher introducing the learning context and playbacks a video, which is used to trigger students’ prior knowledge about the topic. Group and/or class discussion typically follows, before students are set to work on the key learning task or teacher moves into direct instruction.

This approach presupposes that the connection between (and/or relevance of) video content and lesson topic is made explicit to the students, and that the post-viewing task is within students’ zone of proximal development (ZPD) to prepare them for the key learning task or direct instruction. However, this is usually not true for most enactments as teachers stop short of making clear links between the video content and the lesson topic. Furthermore, not all video viewing is accompanied by a learning task.

3. Videos for delivery of learning (content and skills)

This enactment typically involves students watching one or more assigned videos, from which students acquire new knowledge. Students then complete a post-viewing task as evidence of learning. Videos in this instance serve to either transmit information, replacing direct instruction by teacher, or demonstrate to students how to perform a task.

For this approach to be effective, the video needs to present the key learning content effectively in an age-appropriate manner, and the post-viewing task takes into consideration possible student misconceptions and surfaces gaps in students’ learning. Given that the current practice of video selection tends to rely on intuition rather than research-based selection principles, and the absence of a systematic approach to needs analysis, the current use of videos for delivery of learning is unlikely to be effectively enacted.

In what way is Video-Based Learning a viable alternative?

Video-Based Learning offers an alternative approach to using videos for learning with its emphasis on systematic selection of videos and replicable task design patterns (to be elaborated in later posts). By pairing suitable videos with well-developed tasks that are within students' ZPD, Video-Based Learning can potentially realise self-directed learning and deliver a potential learning experience.

1. Key to realising self-directed learning

Effective Video-Based Learning is dependent on two conditions, namely selecting the right video and assigning the right task, both of which requires the expertise of teacher both as a classroom practitioner as well as an instructional designer. Thereafter, the ball is in the student's court to take charge of his/her learning, interacting with the video and task to expand his knowledge and skill base.

The emphasis on an accompanying learning task that is developed applying research-based learning principles is what distinguishes Video-Based Learning from the current use of videos for learning. This places students within their zone of proximal development to enable self-directed learning.

2. Potential to deliver a personalised learning experience

Interactive videos such as that produced by Rapt Media, cited in the paragraphs above, can also potentially enable students to choose their learning path, allowing each student to progress per their interests and readiness. However, this presupposes that the video design is aligned to what findings derived from learning sciences research, and that the learning task is also complementary to the video design.

However, even linear videos can become interactive with video annotation tools such as edpuzzle, vatic and VideoAnt. These tools allow teachers and students to add questions, comments and even images to video clips, which means that students can pursue their interests by leaving their personal mark on the videos that they watch. This has changed the way videos are experienced, from that of passive reception to interactive engagement.

In addition to the two benefits mentioned in the paragraphs above, Video-Based Learning as an approach can also be easily integrated into existing instructional paradigms such as Flipped Learning, Project-Based Learning and Problem-Based Learning. The 3-Act Math instructional model developed by Dan Meyer is an example of how Video-Based Learning is integrated with Problem-Based Learning to improve learning outcomes in Mathematics. References:

1. Cuban, L. (1986). Teachers and machines: the classroom use of technology since 1920. New York: Teachers College Press.

2. Ligato, L. (2015, July 20). YouTube Is Crushing Cable TV, According to Google. Retrieved January 10, 2016, from Huffpost Tech.