Johnny Carrera, a veteran in the classroom of 20+ years and now one of TestOut's Instructional Designers, reviews how to increase and encourage student viewing of the TestOut videos.
Getting Students To Watch The Videos
- In person delivery
- Online delivery
- Combination of both (Hybrid)
The problem
- Students won’t watch the videos.
- Students won’t watch the entire video.
- Students turn on the video and leave to do something else.
- Students get distracted and miss some of the video, but don’t go back.
- Some videos use terminology that’s not explained.
Things I've tried
- Assigned students to watch them on their own in class.
- Assigned students to watch them on their own at home.
- Assigned them to small groups.
- Assigned students to watch them on their own in class or at home, but gave them a notes sheet to fill out and turn in.
- Tracked them and got after them if they were not watching them, or only watching a few minutes.
What seemed to work during in class delivery:
- Watching the videos in class as a group, with me stopping to give input, or explain a confusing or difficult point.
- Having the students fill in a note sheet I would prepare.
- Students keep their own notes, with me telling them to add certain points.
- Reassigning the videos during test prep days.
What seemed to work during online delivery:
- Watching the video in Zoom (or whatever online tool you are using) together, with me stopping and making comments.
- Students taking notes with me telling them important points to put in.
- I recorded the classes and would send the recordings to the students the next day.
What seemed to work in a hybrid setting:
- I would put the video on the big screen and share that screen with the online students.
- Still stopping and starting to explain things.
- Students taking notes with me telling them important points to put in.