Importance of Videos in Teaching and Learning

The thing that makes e-learning an interesting form of education is that it is interactive, and the content has the capacity to spark the interest of children. The days of absorbing information by rummaging through lengthy textbooks are gone. Sometimes, even slideshows fail to provide a complete understanding of a subject or topic. Nowadays, there are many alternatives to the traditional methods of teaching due to the interactive level of education they provide.

One of the most dynamic curricula that support the claim that knowledge is better retained when learned via the visual tool is the use of effective educational videos. According to various surveys, teachers have reported that students are able to learn better when the concepts are explained through the use of videos in teaching and learning. Students show more interest when the content is visually appealing rather than plainly printed on a book. It is a creative learning strategy and one of the key factors that are known to instigate curiosity in students. Let us take a look at the benefits of video for teaching and learning.

6 Benefits Of Educational Videos For Teaching

When people become teachers, that doesn't mean that the learning process ceases. A successful teacher is always eager to learn new ways to teach the same concept over and over again.

1. Flexibility in Teaching

Video tutorials act as a flexible teaching medium. If a student does not understand a concept in one go, the teacher can pause the video any time and explain it again. Replaying the video again also solves many problems even without taking any help from the teacher. This feature provides an enhanced level of flexibility. An excellent teaching technique is to pause the video in the middle and let the students predict the outcome of a particular situation. Problems can be easily demonstrated, and concepts can be repeated as and when required. Repeated experiments and demonstrations help students in understanding the concepts at a whole new level.

2. Provides a Realistic Experience

When teachers teach various subjects by using video presentations in teaching, the students can get a more realistic experience. It is hard to remember facts about people that lived centuries ago, but video learning makes absorbing knowledge much easier. Another example is while studying the laws of motion or any other physics topic for that matter, students are able to get an insight into the space and movement of particles. As far as other subjects are concerned, it enables students to hear the actual sound and look at the exact figures that they have only read in books in action. When students encounter the diversity of different cultures on their computer screen, the understanding of geography increases to a whole new level. The ideas actually come alive, and this helps students expand their attention span.

3. Easy Access

One of the most important and amazing features of video lessons is that both the teachers and the students can access them anywhere. The use of video-based instruction has been made easier with the development of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. All you have to do is ensure that the format of the lecture that you are about to watch is supported on the device that you use. The best thing to do is to play the videos in Flash & HTML5 format so that it is compatible with all devices and web browsers. Even if you are absent in class, you can send the link of the video to your students and give them assignments based on it to save time.

4. Support Of Effective Tools

Video lessons are normally accompanied by the support of effective video tools that are used to increase the ease of use. These tools enable a complete investigation and understanding of the topic. Online videos are also supported by an interactive glossary, thesaurus, dictionary, and online encyclopedia. Written notes used in combination with the 'Watch and learn' strategy is known to provide the maximum benefit as the advantages of both the techniques are availed in conjunction.

5. Unlimited Access to Effective Educational Videos

Teachers can provide unlimited access to the students for their lectures so that students can take reference at any time they want. They can upload their lectures online or forward relevant links to students. They can also make a CD that combines lectures with online visual aids and distribute it to all the students.

6. Improvement Of Teaching Skills

Only a good learner can be an excellent teacher. When the teachers look at the educational videos, they can improve upon their own presentation skills. It also increases the confidence of the teacher, which reflects positively on the results of the students.

The impact of using multimedia on students academic achievement:

Sometimes reading through notes and textbooks can turn monotonous and make studies boring for students. But when an interactive and fun way of learning is devised, it can take the academic performance of the student to soar higher. Let us take a look at how video lectures positively impact the overall academic performance of the students.

1. Demonstration For a Deeper Practical Knowledge

Books are a rich source of theoretical knowledge, but what they lack is a display of the practical application required to attain perfection in a subject or a topic. Procedural topics can be easily understood by watching the videos multiple times rather than cramming books or notes as they are attention-catching and develops the interest of the viewer. Mechanical procedures, clinical processes, or demonstration of case studies can easily be done to ensure that the information is completely fed in the mind of the student.

2. A Boon For Visual Learners

Different students use different techniques to master various concepts. Some like to read their notes out loud and learn. They are mostly auditory learners. But those who are visually expressive and grasp information the fastest with the help of visual aids are benefitted the most by this approach to learning. If you are someone who understands everything when it is laid out in an interesting pattern in front of you, then you are the perfect candidate for video lessons. Regardless of the difficulty level of the topic you wish to develop an expertise in, you will find it online with great ease. The amazing audiovisual experience will guide you through each process of the subject, and you will be able to learn everything thoroughly. Whether it is a science or a math concept you wish to master or a problem you want to figure out, video lectures are the go-to solution for almost all the academic issues that arise in the student life.

3. Independent learning

In today's world, everything is electronic, including education. For e-learning, a student must have access to the internet and is good to go! With the ability to find everything online, learning is becoming more independent as long as you have a working internet connection. You don't have to be dependent on anyone to drop you to a specific location as you can access your videos anytime, anywhere. While going to school, you can plan out how to carry out your academic tasks on the ride itself. This way, when you reach school or college, you will have a clear picture as to how you are going to spend the day. Online video learning also provides shortcuts to various lengthy methods. Apart from studies, if you wish to learn tasks related to your hobby, the online video tutorials can provide information as well as act as a mind freshener. A video of short duration will suffice when you are trying to learn to be creative in your own ways.

4. To The Point Learning

When you search the internet for video tutorials, you will find exactly what you are looking for. Even though there are multiple results for every query, the variety offers to the point solution, thus, avoiding any confusion. Specific information can easily be found in bits and pieces so that you don't have to sort through large piles of books and files when you are looking for something specific. For example, you are looking for how to use a particular photoshop tool. You don't have to look through how to use the entire software. There are different short tutorials for individual tools that will clarify your query once and for all.

5. Stirs The Problem Solving Capacity

A video is composed of both audio and visual elements. This stirs the problem-solving capability of the brain and encourages the student to think harder and more creatively. This is known as multi-sensory learning, where more than one senses are involved in learning. When a learner attempts to understand the concept with the help of multiple senses, it strengthens the cognitive conditions and enhances the problem-solving ability of a student. They understand concepts from a different and unique perspective, which enhances the ability to think faster and at a deeper level.

6. Cost Reduction

The cost of formal education is on the rise, and this pattern never seems to stabilize. Therefore, when new methods of teaching arise that don't break the bank, it causes a stir among the student community and their parents. One of the cheapest methods of studying is taking online video lessons. There are various websites that offer video tutorials on almost all topics that contain relevant information and specific to the point concepts. Most of these websites require the user to register online for free or have a negligible subscription fee. But the content offered makes sure that not only you get the complete worth of your money, but you also gain an in-depth knowledge of various subjects at an affordable price.

Also, delivering the content to any part of the world does not cost a penny, well, except for the internet charges. But as compared to traditional methods of delivering information to those far away, such as courier or speed post, online video lecturing is much handier. Once a video is uploaded, millions of students all over the world can avail of the benefit of shared knowledge.

7. Increases Retention Capacity

All students study in class and just before the exams. But the ones who are able to remember all the points in various subjects during the time of the examination succeed academically. The trick behind these students scoring good marks is a better retention capacity. Of course, that is not God-gifted. Toppers adopt various tricks that ensure maximum learning in a minimum amount of time and helps the students retain information in their minds for a longer duration. One of those tricks is watching video tutorials on different topics. When a student visualizes a concept and hears it at the same time, it becomes easier to retain that information in mind. It gets absorbed at a deeper level, and complete excellence is then a sure thing.

8. Variety Of Animations

The video tutorials need not be only a person lecturing a crowd or a slideshow of various images. The variety of animations is what makes video learning fun and imaginative. The modern way of learning suggests the use of learning avatars, e-white boards, and animate tools for grasping new concepts.

9. Revision Tool

Every student should read the textbook in order to gain complete knowledge of a particular topic. But it is not possible to cram your way through the entire textbook right before the examination. It wastes a lot of time, plus, it is not an effective way of learning. Therefore, to avoid barely clearing the exams with superficial knowledge and achieve academic success with a proper strategy, you can use video learning as a revision tool. When you watch a video of some topic that you have already studied, it acts like a precise summary that can prove to be extremely beneficial at the last moment.

In conclusion, an endless supply of study material with the freedom to study at one's own pace plays an important role in ensuring that a student succeeds academically. Therefore, make sure you include video learning as a part of your regular study routine and let technology work its magic!