Why video?
There are many reasons why it can be advantageous to replace or supplement existing material with video in some course segments or situations. Here you will find examples of the benefits of using video for you as a teacher and your students.
The purpose of your video differs a lot depending on what you want to achieve. It is therefore good to set clear goals. It is important that you know the context of the video and how it relates to learning outcomes and other activities in the course. Therefore, think through whether the below-listed benefits apply to your particular course.
A video can:
- Vary your teaching
- Level the playing field in teaching
- Give yourself time to reflect on your own learning
- Make your lectures more accessible.
Vary your teaching
Using a video will stimulate several senses at the same time, which can promote learning. By combining speech, text and images, the teacher can get to the core quickly and then have room for more content in a shorter time. This can successfully maintain students' attention and promote both short- and long-term memory.
You can also emphasize what is especially important in your teaching by amplifying it with inserted graphics, different camera angles and image cuts or other technical video functions. It can help you visualize and clarify certain difficult points and thus facilitate the students' understanding of it.
By weaving a video into a text, you also create variety as the students stop reading and change study format when they start the video. It therefore functions somewhat as a natural "stop sign" and change of pace in their learning.
Level the playing field in teaching
Students are affected differently by the social rules in a classroom. For example, there is generally a higher tendency for men to ask questions out loud compared to women, and men also tend to take up more space during a lecture. This can affect the teaching situation as some voices are heard more than others and the focus therefore falls on their questions and perspectives.
You as a teacher can use videos to provide other conditions in teaching to level the playing field, for example because:
- a video is pre-recorded and the topic is therefore presented the same way every time
- videos are usually studied alone or in a smaller, self-chosen group where learning is less influenced by the social rules.
The use of videos also opens up other kinds of teaching situations that can promote other groups and individuals' ability to excel. For example, by collecting questions on the video's content in writing before the next teaching session.
Give yourself time to reflect on your own learning
A video requires many steps for you to plan, create, and ultimately publish. These steps can become a natural opportunity for reflection if you allow it. Teachers who record their lectures and review the recording afterward reflect more on their own teaching. Your video gives you a chance to reflect on, for example:
- What should students bring with them after taking your course?
- Does what you say to the students help them towards the course objectives?
- Is your video missing interactive parts?
- Is there space for students to, for example, take notes on what you present?
Your students will also have more room to give feedback on you and the content of the course.
Make your lecture more accessible
With video, you can combine written text with sound, images, and animations to make information more accessible and easier for everyone to understand. Replacing a lecture with a video can help many students, especially those with various disabilities such as reading, hearing, or visual impairments. It also makes your course more accessible to students who can save long or expensive trips and for those who, for various reasons, find it difficult to get to the classroom.
At KTH, we strive for digital education that meets all students' needs. Educational videos can be an aid toward that goal. It is essential to look at the target group and its needs.