Nowadays, as our society transitions towards a more technological world, so should our teaching pedagogies.  Mostly because our students are able to relate and retain information through a medium they enjoy using.  But with that being said, it is important to ensure we as educators know how to properly introduce videos to the classroom.

First off, you might ask what are the benefits of videos?  Well, educational videos allow students to review at their own leisure, re-watch as necessary, slow down playback speed to deepen understanding, and repeat.  Accessibility for students has also increased, as most videos now are capable of providing automatically generated subtitles.  This helps students with comprehension of spoken dialogue.

Additionally, videos can allow you to “see” things you cannot in real time.  Video editing or filming techniques allow you to create a time-lapse (a video observing an action of almost invisible movement, sped up to make the action seem faster; see below) or slow-motion, which decreases the playback time.

One thing about educational video and technology that benefits our “new” world amidst COVID-19 is virtual reality.  I have had personal experience with this when working at an independent retirement home, we were able to “walk through” our local museum with all our residents comfortably seated in the home of our own theatre.  It was truly a spectacular experience and an excellent alternative to a field trip – faster and more cost effective!  Pandemic aside, this is a feature I will consider using in the future.

Happy March!

xoxo missrose