Using Video in Teaching and Learning

Introduction  

While video in teaching and learning dates back to its use in teaching and learning at the Open University, its use has accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. The key challenge, however, continues to be how video material is created, curated or used in educational settings to create opportunities for learning and as building blocks for scaffolding learning material and activities in digital learning environments.  

There are many ways that the format of video can be used for educational purposes and these include interviews, case studies and role-plays and in our case study we focus on an innovative video study incorporating interactive video. The educational affordances of interactive video include the provision of immediate feedback for students and opportunities to engage students in active learning.   

Video will continue to be integrated with other technological developments, particularly as their pedagogical value comes to light. Thus, there is a continuous need to focus on pedagogy and ensure that any video-based assessments or content are clearly embedded in the learning outcomes.  

Current trends  

Gedera and Zalipour (2018) note that the known benefits of video on student engagement date back to research in the 1990s, however, how video is utilised has changed significantly with the increased accessibility to high-speed internet and smartphone devices (Carmichael et al., 2018; Campbell and Cox 2018). These changes were exacerbated due to the COVID-19 pandemic which in turn, has helped to accelerate a wealth of new research on video in teaching and learning (Bhadri and Patil, 2022; Lapitan et al., 2021). Videos not only offered blended or fully online learning but also flexibility and further student control over their learning, ‘anywhere, anytime’ (Gedera and Zalipour, 2018; Carmichael et al., 2018; Valenti et al., 2019; Dinmore, 2019). Previous research has highlighted motivation, active, rather than passive, engagement and an ability to present practical demonstrations from field experts as further benefits of utilising video (Gedera and Zalipour, 2018; Carmichael et al., 2018). In implementing video making as a form of coursework, Vasilchenko et al. (2018) found that students developed media literacy skills, created content valuable for learning portfolios useful for future employability and were given a creative outlet to demonstrate their knowledge and skills. Finally, subtitles and other video features can provide accessibility and meet Universal Design requirements, as well as helping to improve levels of comprehension (Gedera and Zalipour, 2018; Dinmore, 2019).  

However, the implementation of video for teaching and learning is not without significant challenges. Firstly, simply watching a video does not necessarily lead to learning and creating opportunities for interactive, deep learning and critical thinking are key (Stigler et al., 2015; Gedera and Zalipour, 2018). In addition, it is important to ensure that both staff and students can manage technology and technical difficulties through support and training (Carmichael et al., 2018; Gedera and Zalipour, 2018; Campbell and Cox, 2018). Some ways to support staff and students are outlined in the technologies and practices section and case study below.  

Technologies and practices  

Videos can be easily and effectively integrated in a learning environment. Some examples of integration in learning design include the incorporation into e-books to provide the demonstration of practical skills and competencies in a laboratory setting (Siok Yee and Mohd Gazzali, 2019). In addition, incorporating learning analytics into any video content can allow educators to review how well students have understood the content and learning goals (Stigler et al., 2015) and drive teacher reflection (Carillo and Flores, 2020). The options for the type of video are broad; from interviews, case studies and role-play to documentaries or the use of third-party content (Dinmore, 2019). Outlining the diversity that video offers, Carmichael et al. (2018, pp. 7-8) suggest that,  

“Within just the context of problem-based learning, video clips can be used to present a problem to students to trigger problem-solving; to provide information around the topic; or to present solutions to the problem at the end of the process (Rasi and Poikela, 2016). Videos can include content that might be academic in nature or material that is supplementary to academic content, such as a news or film clips. They can be used in support of both practical and conceptual teaching (Kay, 2012) through formats which include the video lecture, video tutorial, short knowledge clips, and “how-to” example-based video-modelling.”  

Other content remains on websites and in the form of ready-to-use educational videos. For example, Reimers et al. (2020) outline a range of educational resources which are free to use. However, videos are not simply for educators to create and/or supply for students; students can also be creators in video-based assessments (Campbell and Cox, 2018; Vasilchenko et al., 2018).  

Tips for incorporating videos are as follows:  

• Video content should be embedded in sound pedagogy and appropriate to the learning goals or outcomes (Stigler et al., 2015; Carillo and Flores, 2020; Dinmore, 2019).  
• Valenti et al. (2019) note that the specifics around timing, frequency and length of videos are still under investigation. However, the research suggests that shorter videos (6 minutes or less) are ideal, particularly if they focus on one key idea or concept to ‘segment’ the content (Carmichael et al., 2018; Dinmore, 2019).  
• If the focus is on video-based assessment, students must be given clear guidance and support (see Campbell and Cox, 2018, for example).  

Case study  

Gedera and Zalipour (2018) outlined a three-phase approach to introduce interactive videos to staff and students. Gedera and Zalipour (2018, p. 363) define interactive video “as videos that embed interactive learning moments in which deep learning can occur for students”. Rather than passive receivers, students engage with content and can receive immediate feedback, while educators can reflect on whether learning outcomes are being met . Phase two of this research was a series of professional development workshops designed to train staff in creating interactive videos. This phase was implemented as a response to key challenges pointed out by educators. The challenges included a lack of knowledge and skills to create videos, poor access to equipment, workload issues and a lack of time and funding to create quality videos, particularly videos that are interactive and embedded in sound pedagogy (Gedera and Zalipour, 2018). The workshops included hands-on experimentation with easy-to-use video tools and discussions on pedagogy. Staff engaged with three major ways of creating interactive video content: using screen-casting software (such as Screencast-O-Matic and Loom), using web-based tools (such as Ed Puzzle and Playposit) and in Learning Management Systems (such as H5P 1 on Moodle). In addition, a video toolkit was produced for staff to demonstrate how interactive elements are embedded in videos. Students found videos engaging and helpful in understanding key concepts, while others suggested that videos were an additional aid for students with disabilities. Similarly, the workshops in Phase two were well received by staff who felt more confident in creating and personalising videos to create interactive learning moments while providing a more flexible and autonomous option for students.  

Future developments  

As highlighted in the case study above, there continue to be concerns from educators about their ability to produce and edit high-quality videos for students (Gedera and Zalipour, 2018; Campbell and Cox 2018). Training and support are key solutions. However, if video creation is also considered from a student perspective (that is, video as a form of TEL-based assessment), then further support is also needed for students during the process. Campbell and Cox’s (2018) ICSDR framework ( I dentify, C onceptualize/ C onnect, S toryboard, D evelop, R eview/ R eflect/ R evise) may help to scaffold such assessments. Regardless of the model or framework used, the conclusion remains the same – students involved in the creation of videos must be guided by rubrics, clear instructions and detailed criteria for marking (Campbell and Cox, 2018; Vasilchenko et al., 2018).  

In addition, like other technologies, videos will likely be merged with other innovations and developed further. Future developments in interactive videos are likely (Gedera and Zalipour, 2018), as well as further merging with “print, animation, geo-location and sensor-led technologies, simulation, games, and conferencing” (Laaser and Toloza, 2017, p. 273). However, the most significant gap remains in pedagogy. Little is known about how educators can create engaging and pedagogically-sound content that creates opportunities for critical thinking and deep learning (Stigler et al., 2015; Carmichael et al., 2018). While some of these aspects have started to be implemented in the use of videos, such as interactive videos, more research is required to demonstrate how best practice can be developed in the field.  

References  

Bhadri, G., & Patil, L. (2022). Blended Learning: An effective approach for Online Teaching and Learning. Journal of Engineering Education Transformations , 35 (Special Issue 1), 53-60.   

Campbell, L. O., & Cox, T. D. (2018). Digital Video as a Personalized Learning Assignment: A Qualitative Study of Student Authored Video Using the ICSDR Model. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning , 18 (1), 11-24. https://doi.org/10.14434/josotl.v18i1.21027   

Carmichael, M., Reid, A.-K., & Karpicke, J. D. (2018). Assessing the Impact of Educational Video on Student Engagement, Critical Thinking and Learning: The Current State of Play. A SAGE White Paper.   

Carrillo, C., & Flores, M. A. (2020). COVID-19 and teacher education: a literature review of online teaching and learning practices. European Journal of Teacher Education , 43 (4), 466-487. https://doi.org/10.1080/02619768.2020.1821184   

Dinmore, S. (2019). Beyond lecture capture: Creating digital video content for online learning – a case study. Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice , 16 (1), 3-10. https://doi.org/10.14453/jutlp.v16i1.7   

Gedera, D., & Zalipour, A. (2018). Use of interactive video for teaching and learning Open Oceans: Learning without borders, Geelong.   

Kay, R. and Kletskin, I. (2012), ‘Evaluating the use of problem-based video podcasts to teach mathematics in higher education’, Computers & Education 59(2), 619–627.  

Laaser, W., & Toloza, E. (2017). The Changing Role of the Educational Video in Higher Distance Education. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning , 18 (2), 264-276. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v18i2.3067   

Lapitan, L. D. S., Tiangco, C. E., Sumalinog, D. A. G., Sabarillo, N. S., & Diaz, J. M. (2021). An effective blended online teaching and learning strategy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Education for Chemical Engineers , 35 , 116-131. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ece.2021.01.012   

Rasi, P. M. , & Poikela, S. (2016). A Review of Video Triggers and Video Production in Higher Education and Continuing Education PBL Settings. Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning, 10 (1).  

Reimers, F., Schleicher, A., Saavedra, J., & Tuominen, S. (2020). Supporting the continuation of teaching and learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Annotated resources for online learning . https://www.oecd.org/education/Supporting-the-continuation-of-teaching-and-learning-during-the-COVID-19-pandemic.pdf  

Siok Yee, C., & Mohd Gazzali, A. (2019). A pilot test on the application of an e-book with videos in the teaching and learning of compounding for pharmacy students. Pharmacy Education , 19 (1), 206-211. https://pharmacyeducation.fip.org/pharmacyeducation/article/view/676   

Stigler, J., Geller, E., & Givvin, K. (2015). Zaption: A Platform to Support Teaching, and Learning about Teaching, with Video. Journal of E-Learning and Knowledge Society , 11 (2). https://doi.org/10.20368/1971-8829/1042   

Valenti, E., Feldbush, T., & Mandernach, J. (2019). Comparison of Faculty and Student Perceptions of Videos in the Online Classroom. Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice , 16 (3), 1-21. https://ro.uow.edu.au/jutlp/vol16/iss3/6   

Vasilchenko, A., Wilde, A., Snow, S., Balaam, M., & Devlin, M. (2018). Video coursework: opportunity and challenge for HCI education Proceedings of the 2018 International Conference on Advanced Visual Interfaces, Castiglione della Pescaia, Grosseto, Italy. https://doi.org/10.1145/3206505.3206596