To help students use instructional videos effectively, there are a few things to keep in mind. The nuance lies in how you create and use these videos. When creating, it is important to pay attention to the following points: 1. Keep it calm Do not use unnecessary words, images, and sounds. It can be nice to show a video at the start of a lesson, but when it comes to learning, extra stimuli cause higher cognitive load. 2. Combine word and image Use images to support words and vice versa. Words and images are processed separately by the working memory. Preferably use simple images and icons and display them side by side to reduce cognitive load. 3. Teacher on screen? Can be, but not necessarily. Students generally do not learn better if there is a person on screen. Sometimes this is the case, but only if the person is familiar to them. When creating a video, focus primarily on the content. 4. Keep it spontaneous Preparation is good, but do not write out the text verbatim: students generally learn better if the text is delivered as a conversation rather than in a strict, read-aloud format. So, mainly use the keywords in the presentation as a guideline. 5. Use keywords The working memory can only process one stream of verbal information at a time. If you read aloud the text that you present on a slide, the brain has to choose, and the unconscious choice might be to follow neither. So, it's better not to read text aloud. It is advisable to show a maximum of seven keywords per slide. 6. Keep it short You can fast-forward a video, and that's what students often do with videos longer than 6 minutes. So, try to keep videos short and concise. A guideline is a maximum of 10 minutes, but preferably 3-6 minutes. Do you have presentations from a lecture? Then, for example, cut these into several short videos. 7. Ensure active viewing Learning is an active process. Therefore, teach students to watch actively. For example, you can pause the video every two minutes and then have students summarize it from memory, for instance using the Cornell method. Additionally, make the video more interactive by asking questions about the video beforehand or afterward. You can also add questions directly to the video, allowing students to pause and answer them on their own. In conclusion It is important to actively integrate the use of videos into your lessons. You can do this by building on those videos in your lessons. One way to do this is to address the answers to quiz questions that students give in response to the videos they have watched during your lessons. For example, address common mistakes. Finally, do not cater too much to students who have not watched the instructional videos. If only those who have watched the videos engage in fun, activating activities, other students will quickly learn to watch them.
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