Benefits of using Educational Videos in Learning

Educational videos are the new trend in the education industry, where more and more boarding schools are adopting technology-based educational methods to teach their students. Teachers are constantly learning and imparting education using the immense pool of resources available online. Video platforms allow instructors to create, share, and view various educational videos made by other people from across the globe. This helps students gain in-depth knowledge about concepts from different perspectives. Let us learn more about the benefits of educational videos in learning.

How is technology impacting education?

Advancements in technology have also stepped to cover the education sector to allow an enhanced learning experience for students and simplify teaching. The traditional learning method included teachers delivering lectures, students making notes and trying to understand concepts based on the lectures. Teaching was theoretical, and there was not much emphasis on practical learning. With time, as the educational needs of students evolved, technology was introduced into classrooms to revolutionize the teaching and learning process. It was observed that students grasp and retain more when taught through audiovisual aids such as presentations, flowcharts, videos, and online quizzes than when taught through traditional lectures. 

Technology has significantly impacted education and led to the transformation of various traditional teaching and learning methods. The importance of practical learning in the modern era has increased, and students rely on technological aids to understand concepts deeply. Teachers adapt to these technological changes and use smart boards, educational apps, social media such as YouTube, and other technology-based platforms to enhance students’ learning experience. Teachers are creating lesson plans and polishing their teaching methods using several technologies. Let us know more about how technology benefits teaching methods.  

Methods of teaching in classrooms

Integrating technology into classroom teaching helps enhance engagement, increases students’ attention span, and improves learning outcomes. Let us learn about various methods of teaching in classrooms using technology. 

1. Smart boards – Technologically equipped boards enhance students’ learning experience and create a willingness to learn. These interactive whiteboards allow teachers to impart lectures through digital content and engage students in a more interactive and educative session. The smart boards can be used as regular boards for writing and drawing but also offer a technological edge of making lessons come to life through educational videos, getting better images for explaining complex topics and having interactive presentations.

2. Educational apps – Various apps such as YouTube, Instagram, Google Classrooms, and Research Gate are used by teachers to utilize the digital pool of educational resources for better teaching. Based on the primary learning style of students, the choice of educational apps may differ. While some students find learning easier through educational videos, others indulge in gamification-based education. These educational apps can be effectively introduced while teaching lessons to reinforce concepts, provide practice exercises, and offer an interactive learning experience. Using educational apps, students can cover various subjects and concepts.

3. Online connecting platforms – During the COVID-19 lockdown, when schools shifted to online learning, various platforms emerged to facilitate online connectivity between teachers and students. Google Workspace and Microsoft Teams were the commonly used collaboration tools that facilitated student communication and teamwork. It enabled teachers to create virtual classrooms, share educational resources and materials, and assign collaborative projects.

4. Flipped classroom – The traditional method of assigning tasks and homework to students has now changed. Instead of asking students to write, learn or read, technological solutions are being adopted. The concept of a flipped classroom model emphasizes asking students to go through the instructional content created by the teacher, such as video lectures or readings. After going through the content, the classroom time can be spent on interactive discussions, activities, and solving queries. Since students learn at home and discuss it in class, it helps in revision, clears their queries, and saves time spent on lectures about the same.

5. Gamification – Several game-based learning platforms have evolved, enabling students to engage in enjoyable learning experiences. It helps motivate students to learn complex concepts through a more enjoyable means of making the class interactive and engaging. Teachers and students commonly use apps such as Duolingo and Kahoot. Teachers can assess the average learning rate of the class by organizing various quizzes and competitions inside the classroom using gamification tools. 

What is video-based learning? 

Teachers, instructors, and content creators from across the globe are recording videos on several topics to deliver lectures and educate students. These videos are accessible by students for free or after the subscription. Video-based learning is watching recorded lectures online to understand complex concepts and topics. Many students can access the same video at a time and go through it repeatedly. To upscale this, educators stream live video lectures, quizzes, debates, and discussions to allow students to learn in real-time and solve their queries by prompting questions on the digital platform displaying the live educational video. Apart from this, video-based learning also includes graphic content formulated by adding pictures, audio, data, flowcharts and other visual aids to simplify the concept for students. 

Why is video learning effective?

Video learning has proven effective, engaging and attention-grabbing for several reasons. Here are a few advantages of educational videos in teaching – 

1. Improves classroom engagement – Learning stimulated by combining images, text, graphics, and audio can enhance comprehension and retention of complex concepts. Students learn dynamically when they are presented with visual content. Teachers can retain student’s attention for a longer time.

2. Multimodal teaching technique – Teachers often look for study techniques that appeal to students with various learning styles. Learning using educational videos helps appeal to a student’s eyes, ears, and brain. Educational videos aim to use multiple modes of information delivery, such as auditory, visual, and sometimes kinesthetic elements. It helps in catering to the diverse educational needs of students.

3. Flexibility and accessibility – Educational videos allow flexible learning as students can access them anywhere and anywhere. Teachers can create, share and edit their educational videos whenever they want. Learning through educational videos is better for students with different learning speeds as it allows them to review content at their own pace. Students can revisit the videos whenever needed.

4. Fosters engagement – Instructors who create well-informed videos with engaging content for students can retain students’ attention for longer. Teachers must learn to select the videos that appeal to student interest and offer learning in the most simplified manner. Using storytelling, animations, and real-world examples helps make the educational videos more personalized and helps create student interest towards various complex topics.

5. Scalability– Instructors creating educational videos can upload them on social apps such as Twitter and YouTube or partner with other platforms such as Unacademy or Coursera to distribute the content to students across the globe. Students and teachers can access these videos in online classes, webinars, or online courses. Students get to study at their own pace, which helps to give a personalized experience.

Tips for students to learn through educational videos

Students are more likely to grasp and retain concepts learnt through educational videos than traditional learning. It also increases their attention span, reduces boredom, clarifies complex concepts, and improves retention span. Let us review a few tips for students to maximize their learning from educational videos. 

1. Research for supportive content – Before watching the educational video, students must search for the topic online to look for related study material. Skimming through outlines and subheadings helps give context to the topic students are about to study. The context can help students identify key concepts to focus on during the video.

2. Active learning – Although educational videos can be accessed in the comfort of your bedroom, students must treat educational videos as an active learning experience. Students must actively make notes, pause, revise, and engage with the content as they would during traditional classroom learning. Passively watching the videos will be of no use.

3. Creating a study environment – One of the challenges of online learning is to manage distraction. Video based learning can be very distractive if not done correctly. Students need to minimize distractions and create a conducive study environment. Turn off the notifications of all other apps, find a quiet space, and ensure you have a pen, copy, highlighter and sticky notes handy.

4. Highlight key points – Students may encounter complex concepts they must note while watching educational videos. Framing the watched content in your own words, making flowcharts, highlighting key points, and jotting down questions help create a better understanding of the topic.

5. Complete related activities – After completing the video, students can assess their learning by taking quizzes, assignments, and related activities. These additional steps help students understand the studied material and answer emerging queries while watching the video. 

These are a few tips for using educational videos effectively to reap the benefits of educational videos for students and teachers.

SKV is a female boarding school in India that offers progressive and modern learning equipped with technology to girls from class VI onwards.