How to use video to teach students effectively

In the last 30 years, learning by video has become one of the fastest growing fields in education. What are the pros of video learning?

1. Videos are portable

Video lessons can be watched just about anywhere anytime. This enables widespread learning of lessons that were once geographically isolated.

This has many benefits. In rural settings, it eliminates the need for the student to head to a classroom or tuitions that may be located far away. In some regions, video as a teaching tool can preclude the need for expensive travel for in-person training.

2. Visual learning is powerful

Educational videos are primarily visual. While the audio is obviously a critical aspect of the learning, the combination of sound and visual content allows the viewer to grasp information more easily, especially information that is inherently visual.

Even if your subject isn’t very visual, a video is superior to a podcast or audio recording since it can capture nuances of meaning, body language, and context that won’t otherwise carry through.

3. Pausing and rewinding allows flexible learning

One of the best benefits of video learning is that a person can pause, stop, rewind, and otherwise manipulate the timeline of learning. Unlike a traditional classroom or in-person training, a video learner need never miss something: as long as they have time to try again, they can go back.