showing videos
showing videos as part of your course content is fine,as long as the legnth of the video is kept short,and you do not use the videos to teach the class.
Being in the mechanical industry a short clip on the operation of a component or unit works well, You can expand and talk about it back it up slow it down and get a really good feel of understanding, The key is to keep it 8 minutes or less.
We use the videos to supplement the course. Some videos will eliminate spoken lecture, but we always review the material after the video so the students can make notes. We find that video's should not last more than 20 minutes or the students get wrestless.
I like to show videos because the only support what you are trying to say. If a student sees it , it must be right. Keep it short though. Also quiz them on it. It keeps them awake.
Bill I like the idea of giving them a little quiz after the video. It puts acoutability on the students.
Videos are good in the fact they are a visual change for the student. When the video is professionally made and current it is a very useful tool.
Videos are helpful in allowing the students to visualize complex procedures or things that otherwise can't be explained very well and enables them to remain engaged because their level of understanding has increased.
I agree. In my experience as a learner, technician, and Instructor I have seen classes where the videos are painfully long, thus causing myself and others to fall asleep or loose their attention span.
In my classes, if I have to show a video that is long winded, I will stop about every 5 minutes or so, post a question on the board, or have the students retrieve review question material from it, or specifications. I will aslo ask other questions related to the material, or put in my own " two cents" at that particular time. Also I will ask if they have any questions or would like to add any of thier experiences to it.
I rarely show videos in my class, however when I do, I create critical thinking questions that allow the students to connect course information to the the examples in the film/documentary. Films are especially effective for the visual learners.
The only problem is finding good approved videos that give a short burst of interesting information.
Hi Raymond,
You might check with your professional organizations or trade groups. I have found many great DVDs for my classes from these groups. Plus, they are free, allowing me to spend my medial money on other DVDs that I need for my classes.
Gary
Here at the Exton Campus we use five approved videos to supplement the curriculum material in Course 35-Professional Service Writing. These videos were selected by our team to specifically reinforce the information in the lectures. Four of them are less than 20 minutes and we don't lose the student's attention because they are well produced and relevant. The fifth has good information but is about an hour in length and grueling in one bite. We break it up to offer commentary and have a q+a period on the information just presented.
Mike Kelly
Showing videos is a great idea. It's a visual lecture that will get the students involved. Videos also repeat what you just went over in lecture. The more the student learns about a certain topic the more they remember.
