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Using Video in the Classroom
By Kathleen Gray, CIDDE Teaching Assistant Services
“Video can supplement the course texts, helping integrate ‘real world’ material into the classroom.”
As graduate teaching assistants, we need ways to motivate our students and renew their attention spans. Often we try to use videos to accomplish these goals. Besides adding interest to our courses, video can supplement the course texts, helping us integrate “real world” material into the classroom. Most important, every use of video should help students meet course objectives! To help you use video as a teaching tool, here are some guidelines on what to do before, during, and after using a video clip: 
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| Photos by Jim Burke, CIDDE |
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Before starting the video,
- Prepare the room. Arrange the chairs so that all students can clearly see and hear the video. Set up all technology in advance and practice with remote controls so you can easily start/stop the film as desired.
- Pretest students. A short questionnaire can introduce students to the material and indicate what they will be expected to learn while watching and discussing the video.
- Give students background information. Since you will rarely show a complete film, tell students enough about what they missed to enable them to understand the part they are about to see. Also, students may assume everything they see in the video is correct/factual so be sure to tell them whether the video represents opinions or facts.
- Explain why you have chosen this video. Be certain to explain how the video clip relates to the course objectives! Consider giving students an outline of the main points presented in the film as a guide. During the video,
- Give students an “assignment.” For instance, you could instruct students to list the course concepts used in the video or note how the content in the video connects to or differs from information presented in the course text.
- Provide adequate light and time for students to take notes.
- Interrupt the video when it’s useful to clarify content, check student comprehension, or make connections to course content.
- Restart the clip by providing a brief summary of what has been covered so far and adding new information specific to the remaining material.
- Monitor student attention. Sit where you can see if students are watching the film and taking notes. As needed, quietly move to stand near students who are trying to sleep, text message, or talk to their neighbors. If students seem particularly inattentive, consider ending the media early and moving on to the next part of your lesson. After the video,
- Turn off the media with as little disruption as possible.
- In advance, prepare the FIRST thing you will say to reengage students in class participation . Try these approaches: repeat a short provocative quote and ask students what they thought about it; ask a specific straightforward question about the content; ask for volunteers to share what they wrote for their “assignment” during the video.
- Explain what you would like to do with the rest of the class time. Building from your initial question, let students know what will happen next and what is expected of them now that the film is over. For instance, will you lecture, take questions, or break into small group work? Remind students which course objectives are relevant to the day’s discussion.
- Follow through. Refer to the video in future discussions and exams to aid student memory and help them make connections among concepts.
Actively engaging our students before, during, and after using video in the classroom helps us encourage and monitor learning. If we continuously link the video clip to the course objectives, texts, lectures, and discussions, students will quickly see that our video use is not just entertainment—it’s education!
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