Using application-based videos to improve student learning in your course
The why, when, and how
Hello! I am Roshini Ramachandran, the Assistant Director of Curricular Initiatives at UCLA’s Center for the Advancement of Teaching (CAT). I lead STEM curricular assessment efforts, conduct education research to enhance student learning, and also enjoy teaching undergraduate chemistry courses.
What are application-based education videos?
These are educational videos that assist students in applying core concepts to real life and day-to-day examples. They are different from Youtube/Khan Academy videos that primarily focus on going over concepts or topics in a quick manner.
For example, a video that discusses the basic principles of engineering is a tutorial video. A video that explains how that topic is relevant in everyday life and demonstrates examples (e.g. working of a car engine) is an application-based video.
I used the Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE) peer-reviewed science education videos as homework assignments to supplement my general chemistry lectures on the topics of enthalpy, entropy, rate laws, and Le Châtelier's principle.
How can you implement them in your course?
Audience: I implemented these videos as homework assignments in my undergraduate chemistry course that had 350 students. These students were life science majors and mostly freshmen who were learning these topics for the first time. As non-chemistry majors, I wanted my students to be exposed to the applications of these topics that may seem quite abstract to them. Using them outside of lecture helps you offer low-stakes assignment options to students, and does not take away from your class time.
Pacing: I selected topics that were covered typically a week apart during the quarter. Since the videos were selected from an external website, I was limited by the topics that they had available. However, if you are developing your own videos, you can plan out your class schedule based on them. It took me a couple of hours to find a suitable video resource, but once I identified the collection, it took me 30 mins - 1 hour to view and set up every subsequent video.
Motivation: I ensured that I had a couple of videos before the class midterm, and a couple after, so that students don’t feel overwhelmed. I also offered students 1 point per video toward their homework grade to encourage participation.
Technology: You can either post a link to the video or embed the video using the “video” tool on Canvas. Some video sources (such as JoVE) require a university subscription and can be viewed only on campus or using the UCLA VPN - be sure to check these before posting the video for students! Here is a useful Bruin Learn article on how to post videos with Kaltura.
What are the findings from using them in my course?
I gathered student feedback regarding video engagement through post-video surveys. I assessed student learning by administering pre- and post-video conceptual quizzes. The quiz analysis showed that using these videos in the course significantly improved student learning of foundational concepts. These results were held even for students who provided negative feedback about the videos! So, using these kinds of educational videos can help to improve student learning in introductory science courses.
(Above image taken from original journal article)
What are ways to maximize the impact of these videos?
Choose videos that are relevant to the course material. You can create your own videos or utilize existing resources available online - this may take some planning or searching for your particular discipline. Using videos that are only partially related can decrease student engagement with the topics.
It’s important that these videos are short! Students typically tend to focus on a single activity for a limited amount of time (between 7 and 15 minutes).
Use the videos as homework assignments rather than stand-alone lectures. This will give students time to watch the videos at their own pace and complete any activities or quizzes associated with them.
Pace the video assignments during the quarter in a manageable way to make video watching a fun homework activity and not a source of stress. I only assigned one video for a particular week or chapter.
Ask students for their feedback: Gather feedback from students using a simple survey and use this information to make adjustments to the videos or to the way the videos are used in the course. Having students think about whether the video was effective or not also prompts them to reflect on their learning and engage in metacognition. Mid-quarter is a good time to collect feedback for the videos.
Check for student learning: Evaluate the effectiveness of the video by comparing student performance on a short quiz before and after the videos are introduced. You can create your own quiz that aligns with your course content or utilize existing resources available (e.g. textbook questions, online supplemental content, question bank repositories, etc.).
Any additional ideas to leverage the use of these videos?
Provide opportunities for students to discuss the videos. This can be done in class, in course recitation sections, or in online discussion forums. You can provide prompts such as “What was something new you learned from the video” or “What was something that you need more clarity about in the video?” or “Can you think of other real-life applications that apply the principles discussed in the video”?
Encourage students to engage with the videos by providing opportunities for active learning, such as group discussions or written reflections. This helps students to process the information in the videos and reinforce their understanding of the concepts. One template you can use is the 3-2-1 technique from the K. Patricia Cross Academy.
The Active Learning Library is a user-friendly and customizable online resource for planning activities - you can start with something small using their tools!
Summary
Application-based education videos can be useful for improving student engagement and learning in large introductory courses. By supplementing the watching of these videos with opportunities for active learning and metacognition, and evaluating the effectiveness of the videos, we can help ensure that students are getting the most out of this teaching tool.
Please see this article for details about the study: Investigating the Effectiveness of Using Application-Based Science Education Videos in a General Chemistry Lecture Course
Contact: RRamachandran@teaching.ucla.edu