In 1983, Howard Earl Gardner – an American developmental psychologist proposed the theory of multiple intelligences. The theory developed general understanding that every student learns in a different way.
Some students learn by reading, some by listening other by seeing. Although, after some year, the theory has come under scrutiny but it has given crucial evidence to teachers that they need to incorporate this or a combination of various styles in their pedagogy for different learners.
In the 21st century, educators are supported by technology which gives them more options to grab attention of different learners.
No matter if you are an expert of technology or novice, there are a lot of ways by which you can use technology easily in teaching to make lecture more interesting and engaging, one of the best way is to use educational videos. However, you need to be thoughtful before choosing and using them.
Pick the Right Education Video
Internet is a place where you can find a lot of videos under education category. There would be many platforms that claim to be good educational video providers but there are a lot of videos that initially appear attractive but do not contain good content or satisfy classroom needs. You need to spend a little more time to find out good videos that suits your curriculum need.
Essential Video Support Tool
Teachers and students can avail maximum benefit from video by using essential video support tools and resources available. The video must be supported by tools that let users to fully explore and investigate. Use of video should be supported by dictionary, thesaurus, word glossary and an online encyclopaedia.
Keep it Short and Crisp
In many studies, researchers have said that average attention span lasts only 7 – 15 minutes. So, it is good to show educational videos to students that last 7 – 15 minutes rather than projecting a big film. With short video, educators can spend time on both introduction as and key points. With a combination of text and video, you can make teaching more interesting rather than just showing long videos without break. You can use video to explain your point.
Effectively Use Video in Classroom
Studies have shown that the best way to use video is as a boost or add-on to a lesson. Video should be used as add-on along with the other classroom resource available for teaching a specific subject or topic. Educators should do homework before they integrate video in their classroom. Learning objectives must be defined in advanced and should be planned properly.
Quality of Video is Important (in terms of technicality)
Ensure the visual and audio quality of video is good and playback facility is available in the classroom. Other thing that educators should keep in mind is the screen size, and brightness. So, if you are downloading free resource from the Internet or even paying for it ensure, you are getting the best quality.
Tell the Need of Watching Video
It is important to give some time in introduction. You need to introduce your students to the topics that the educational video will cover before the viewing. Also tell students about some of the key points that will be discussed and why you have used a particular video as resource. Hence, students can understand relevance of watching the video.
