For many years, educators have attempted to boost their learners’ engagement with activities assisted by videos. Thanks to video content availability, contemporary internet speeds and updated educational technologies, educator attitudes toward videos have changed for the better. This piece will discuss the value of video-assisted learning and how it can boost learner engagement. 

Finding Content

Like many things, there are some challenges that educators must face when implementing video-assisted learning, and chief amongst these is finding content. This is especially true for educators who use platforms such as YouTube, as they are using a platform that is packed with user-made content. 

This means that the content on YouTube will be poorly-researched, feature advertisements, or be inappropriate. Thankfully, there are many websites dedicated to providing free educational videos for educators to use. 

The increase in the popularity of videos in the classroom also helps educators find content for learners with special educational needs. For instance, it is relatively easy to find videos with subtitles for learners with hearing problems, and there are other videos that come with detailed audio descriptions for learners that experience eyesight trouble. 

Dynamic Lessons

Although some still continue to believe that videos only provide a passive learning experience, the truth is that educators can use educational technologies, like whiteboards, to make their lessons quite varied, dynamic and interactive. It is easier than ever to find, start, stop, pause and control videos. 

This allows educators to use video clips or short videos to bring up a new discussion point in their lessons or use videos to ask their class a critical question. Thus, learner engagement from video-assisted learning does not happen by solely playing long videos and leaving learners to watch them; educators must also be involved. 

Videos are a way to vary a lesson so that learner attention span can be held for longer. 

Repeat Viewing

Finally, one of the main benefits that video-assisted learning provides is that videos can be watched repeatedly. Often, videos can be accessed freely and quickly via the internet, whether the user is at home or school. 

This allows learners to re-watch a video explaining a concept that they are unsure of. This proves invaluable for increasing learner engagement since learners tend to become disinterested when they feel that a lesson has left them behind. If this occurs, they can return to a video and catch up with the rest of the class at a pace comfortable for them. 

Conclusion

Improvements in digital tech and contemporary internet connections, have helped make videos a core part of most learning settings. Educators can improve the engagement of their learners using video-assisted learning.