Technology is becoming a standard item to incorporate into lesson plans for every subject area. While all content could benefit from the right technological support, video support for science classes could open the door to more productivity. In particular, these videos could enhance the way experiments are handled during class time. Educators can plan lab experiments with less stress and enable students to perform their tasks with greater clarity.

If you want to make your science experiences a success, here are a few ways you might consider adding videos.

Keep the instructions consistent.

One of the major problems for science teachers with multiple classes is keeping the instructions consistent. You may easily forget an important detail or step when describing a complex experiment for the fifth time in one day. Using a video to relay all of the instructions to your class can help you to stay focused and impart all of the necessary information. The students will have better results and you can grade papers with fairness, knowing that everyone received the proper instructions.

Stop wasting materials.

How often do you explain an experiment to your class by demonstrating it? Most schools are on strict budgets that don’t leave much money to spend on supplies. If you teach multiple classes each day, then you are going to be wasting four to five sets of supplies that could be better used elsewhere. This could be particularly problematic if you believe you may be running low on supplies, to begin with.

Videos teach concepts when time doesn’t allow for experiments.

Experiments are extremely helpful when it comes to explaining concepts to your class, but you may not always have the time or supplies available. Videos can be a great substitute to help you impart the lesson to your students in a tangible way without the need for a lengthy experiment. You can time lapse the video, cut out certain sections, and forego the explanation of how to perform the steps. All of these things can help you to solidify their knowledge of the concepts without trying to squeeze a lab day into your schedule.

According to recent studies, students are likely to be far more engaged in learning when videos are used in the classroom. These visual aids can increase their motivation, result in higher grades, and deepen their knowledge of a particular subject.

You can make a simple video during a planning period and reduce your workload throughout the rest of the day. Your students won’t necessarily miss the live instruction when the videos are tailored specifically to their lesson and experiment. Try to make a short video next time your class is planning to perform a science experiment to see how it can benefit your students.