Harness The Power of Videos to Enhance Your Teaching Materials

Video has emerged as a valuable asset in both online and traditional classrooms. It helps deliver complex ideas, inspires students, and boosts comprehension. Researchers even stated that using videos as teaching materials can lead to substantial learning benefits.

The power of video in teaching is championed by experts like Dr Michael Noetel, a senior lecturer at the Australian Catholic University’s School of Health and Behavioural Sciences. According to Dr Noetel, videos offer students the flexibility to learn at their own pace. If a segment is too straightforward, they can fast-forward; if a concept is complex, they have the liberty to pause, rewind, and take notes. This level of control can make the learning process more manageable for every student.

Dr Noetel also highlights the advantages videos offer to educators. ‘Videos allow the teacher to have more control over the presentation through editing, making their lessons more coherent, concise and with better use of visuals than a traditional lecture.’ As he points out, videos aren’t just tools for presenting information, but they’re also an instrument for structuring and refining lessons.

To incorporate videos into your teaching materials, consider the following tips:

1. Keep Videos Short to Keep Students Engaged

Video length can significantly impact student engagement. Long, drawn-out videos may overwhelm or bore students, causing them to lose interest in the material. However, breaking video content down into bite-sized chunks can have a positive effect.

By providing short video lessons, you make content more digestible and tailor it to different learning styles and pacing. This approach promotes active engagement as students can more easily focus on each concept and revisit particular sections as needed. 

One study found that using short videos increased the amount of time students spent watching the videos by 24.7%. There was also a 9.0% improvement in final exam scores compared to groups that utilised longer videos. Hence, keeping videos brief can not only promote active participation but also contribute to improved academic achievement.

2. Diversify Video Content 

Variety keeps students interested and enhances understanding. A diverse range of video types, including animated videos, whiteboard videos, and explainer videos, can greatly increase engagement, particularly in blended learning environments.

Animated videos, for instance, use vibrant visuals and storytelling to capture students’ attention. Hence, they’re perfect for presenting complex concepts in a fun, easily digestible way. On the other hand, whiteboard videos offer a more traditional approach. They can effectively illustrate step-by-step processes, making them ideal for teaching topics like mathematical formulas.

So, when you create a video, think about the primary goal of your lesson. Choose the types of video that best serves this objective and resonates with your students.

3. Create Video Quizzes to Engage Students

Video quizzes help bring a high degree of interactivity and personalisation into your teaching materials. You can create this type of video by using tools like Canvas Studio.

With Canvas Studio, you can incorporate questions throughout a video, enabling students to actively process the material rather than passively watch it. You can also offer them quick and personalised real-time feedback on their understanding, which helps reinforce learning experiences and empower students.

Moreover, video quizzes can be an effective tool in a flipped classroom model. Instead of lecturing in class and assigning homework, teachers in flipped classrooms provide video lessons for students to watch at home. By doing that, teachers can ensure students actively understand the material while studying independently. This method also saves classroom time for interactive discussions and hands-on learning activities. 

4. Use Data to Enhance Video Materials 

In today’s data-driven era, you should take advantage of analytics and insights to optimise your teaching materials. For example, you can use Canvas Studio to discover your video’s performance and students’ learning behaviours. Find out which students are watching a video, how long they are engaged, and even specific viewing details for individual students. 

Canvas Studio also offers valuable insights into how well your video content is received. For instance, if a video has high engagement rates, it may suggest that the content or the delivery method resonates with students. Or, if a student frequently rewinds a particular section, they might be struggling with that concept. In this case, you should provide them with the necessary resources to support their learning.

5. Create Educational Videos With Canvas Studio

Video is no longer just a supplementary tool for teaching materials — it has become a focal point in creating engaging, interactive, and immersive learning environments. Leveraging educational videos can transform static lessons into dynamic experiences, foster student engagement, and boost knowledge retention. 

Try Canvas Studio today and see how it can transform your teaching and learning experiences.