Earlier today I was preparing a presentation using Prezi. For those who are bored with MS PowerPoint or just want to try something totally different, I'd suggest you have a play with this cool software. You can use it from the 'cloud', or download it to your desktop.
Anyway, like most of my time spent on-line, I was quickly distracted from building my presentation and stumbled on a short YouTube clip discussing the results of a PhD student's research on the Khan Academay and Effectiveness of Science Videos. Most of us have heard of the Khan Academy, right? If you haven't, you need to check it out: on iTunes, YouTube, wherever - it offers some amazing videos discussing all sorts of science.
But, be careful ... the above study identifies some unexpected (in my eyes at least) results of using videos to help students learn about science. It seems they don't really help!
Just showing facts and concepts does very little to facilitate learning and make lasting meaning of science. Hmm ... I'm sure you are reflecting on the many videos that you have watched and are now wondering if they helped you learn??
Well, as long as you didn't have misconceptions about the material described (unlikely), you are probably OK. For the majority of others who DO HAVE misconceptions - it's a different ball game.
Check out the video to learn more:
Anyway, like most of my time spent on-line, I was quickly distracted from building my presentation and stumbled on a short YouTube clip discussing the results of a PhD student's research on the Khan Academay and Effectiveness of Science Videos. Most of us have heard of the Khan Academy, right? If you haven't, you need to check it out: on iTunes, YouTube, wherever - it offers some amazing videos discussing all sorts of science.
But, be careful ... the above study identifies some unexpected (in my eyes at least) results of using videos to help students learn about science. It seems they don't really help!
Just showing facts and concepts does very little to facilitate learning and make lasting meaning of science. Hmm ... I'm sure you are reflecting on the many videos that you have watched and are now wondering if they helped you learn??
Well, as long as you didn't have misconceptions about the material described (unlikely), you are probably OK. For the majority of others who DO HAVE misconceptions - it's a different ball game.
Check out the video to learn more:
This is a really interesting topic “Do videos really help science students learn”? I had never thought of using videos as a method of teaching students until I saw one mathematics teacher using Khan Academy in year 11 Specialist Mathematics lesson when I observed his class in the last semester at school placement. I noticed most students enjoyed this lesson, as students said that Khan Academy is a very good academic website. Students can download a lot of studying materials to their computer. I am sure that students are able to learn much more from quality websites like khan academy and can motivate them to study their subjects well. I agree with your opinion that “on iTunes, YouTube, wherever-it offers some amazing videos discussing all sorts of science”. I think I will look for some excellent materials on Khan Academy and YouTube videos that I can use for my mathematics teaching in the future.
ReplyDeleteWei,
ReplyDeleteI am glad that you found the post valuable. As yet, I have not used any of the Khan Academy videos in my science classes, but I sure have found them useful when I was 'brushing up' on my understanding of certain topics.
Ultimately, I'd like to get to the stage where I can teach in the same manner as the videos themselves ... wouldn't that be cool! I just did a google search for mathematics videos - there are heaps! Sometimes having so many options can make it difficult to find the good ones.
BTW - as a result of the original post, I have been experimenting by pausing videos and getting students to explain things to each-other. This appears to work well and forces the students to think during the video.
Good luck!
Mark.
This post brought up memories of a debate I had with another TC about the Khan Academy. I do believe that what he is trying to do is great but as the person in the Veritasium video states, it does have a few flaws. Misconceptions can be one of the hardest part of being a science teacher at any level and it is scary how many people, myself included, show science videos without considering the impact of it on their thinking. It is also interesting to note how positive comments post-video corresponded to lower scores and thinking ability. It could be said that by making the videos/explanation confusing through challenging misconceptions, we cause a cognitive disequilibrium that can help develop and consolidate their learning. This has certainly changed my view of science videos and will be a bit more conscious and critical when choosing some to show to my students.
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