Does video technology enhance academic performance?

For us to see a greater use of technology in the classroom, we must begin by empowering the teachers. In the past, teachers have challenged the importance of technology in education in which they believe diverted their attention away from instruction. Teachers want schools to introduce technology that allows them to do more with fewer resources.

One of the most widely accepted forms of technologies that we see today is the use of video in education. Rather than have students travel to one centralized location, they can now access an enormous amount of information from the comfort of their home through the internet. In the past, the rise of integrated technology in the classroom would typically be hardware appliances such as overhead projectors, SMART boards, and laptops. Today, the use of technology in the classroom has shifted due to our overall access to information. Rather than have the teacher as the primary source of information, where the students passively receive it, teachers have now started to take the role of the guide on the side, with students taking more responsibility to source the information online.

The adoption of video technologies in education can actually be credited to four key driving factors. As evident as it may be, the biggest driving force which has led to a greater emphasis on classroom technologies is the technology itself. Not only have technological devices enables us to do more in the classroom, but greater access and a shift in behavior have seen video technologies expand beyond the classroom. Technology is rightly so at the forefront of changes within the education industry, but just like the other main adoptions, there is the social aspect. In today’s environment, the new wave of teachers has all likely grown up with technology by their side. Having that close tie with technology has primarily resulted in a more acceptable view on adopting technology in the classroom. Another key driver of the inclusion of video technologies to achieve academic success are pedagogical drivers. There has been a considerable amount of research conducted into finding out how to get the best of the education system. Students learn differently from each other, and schools have finally started to adopt new learning practices that adhere to their student needs.

Technology has now made its way into nearly all levels of education, and it’s imperative that we look at it as a valuable tool for modern-day education. Yet, for all the times we have heard just how important video and technology is in education, there seems to be a lack of information supporting the claim. Teachers and parents, who aren’t yet fully convinced by technology, rightly want to know why it’s important to use technology in the classroom. Unexpected events in society, like Covid-19, may accelerate the acceptance and adoption of technology, but the fundamental drivers have developed over the years before this global health crisis.

Below we have highlighted some of the key reasons why technology has been placed at the forefront of the modern educational changes that we see today.

Outside of the classroom, students are surrounded by technology and constantly engaging with it. You could say that students are far more advanced than teachers in their use of technology as they have been shaped by it. Technology isn’t optional anymore, it’s essential. Students welcome change, especially when it allows them to thrive in a setting that they are all too familiar with.

Although we mentioned in the previous point that students may be more advanced than teachers, you could, in fact, argue that it’s the contrary. Teachers, many of them millennials, have been brought up and witnessed first hand the effect of technology on the education industry as well as on various other industries. Teachers now consider technology in the classroom to be an integral tool for achieving educational success.

Online lessons, explainers and courses enable students to learn at a comfortable pace and actually take their time to understand the information provided. Technology has opened up a great new channel for students to have a greater degree of control over how they learn at their desired pace. Teachers can now create additional video lessons or screen record for a student to watch, should they require additional support.

Millennials were the first to be branded as the digital generation. They were the first to be introduced to an influx of major technological changes in the classroom. Then there’s Generation Z, who have only experienced a world in which these advances in technology have always existed. Using technology, teachers can engage their students by encouraging them to explore, interact and collaborate rather than simply lecturing them.

Being a content creation platform, our focus is very much geared into how we can use video in education. Video is a well-established tool in the classroom and has been for many years. But it’s not just educators who have seen video as a medium overtake the other forms. Think about social media, and the importance placed on video. Video dominates the internet and will keep doing so for many more years to come. Today, video accounts for over 80% of all online traffic.

The effectiveness of video has dramatically changed over the years, which is largely down to the process of creating video becoming much easier. Back in the days when video cassettes were the only form of video in education, the teacher always had a certain restriction due to the physical copy of the cassette. They would have to borrow the cassette from the library, check if the equipment was available, not to mention the countless technological challenges of ensuring reasonable quality of sound and picture on a central TV screen. Fast forward to today and students are able to access educational videos online or tune into live lectures from anywhere.

In 2013, the education industry was introduced to the flipped classroom concept. The flipped classroom is just one of the various blended learning practices that have successfully gripped teachers and education institutions around the world. One of the core components of flipped learning is video.

Cognitive research has shown us that the inclusion of both words and visuals in video can significantly help us understand information and memorize it more sufficiently. Which is why most people can recall more information from that they watched over what they may have read. Video combines both text and visuals and builds the connection between the pictorial and verbal representations, which supports creative thinking and problem solving amongst students.

One of the most cited reasons as to why video in education is often overlooked or ignored is the overall cost. When it comes to educational budget cuts, teachers are the ones that feel it the most. Teachers have limited resources and materials as the school doesn’t have the money to spend. One of the first things that go is the use of any wide-spread technology in the classroom.

Excessive workloads placed on teachers are getting worse as a result of budget cuts. Teachers are becoming redundant, which has effectively led to overpopulated classes. Teachers are finding it hard to deliver their syllabus while providing one-on-one support to those who need it.

It’s inevitable to think that something perceived to be as costly as video technology can actually help teachers when they lack the financial support. Take the flipped classroom as an example. Students who haven’t grasped a subject immediately can spend more time going over the content online. Rather than have teachers spend the duration of their time in the classroom teaching, the flipped classroom allows teachers to provide more personalized attention and actually guide their students to make sure they understand the information and apply it. Teachers can use their time to work with students directly and rely on video technology to distribute the educational content to be learned.

And what about the costs? How can a school or university afford to hire a professional video editor or rather outsource all their work? It’s simple. They don’t have to. Content creation platforms like OnlineVideoEditor are the affordable answer for teachers, faculty or supporting academic staff.

With OnlineVideoEditor, you can create engaging video lessons without needing any set of design skills. Its simple drag-and-drop interface makes it easy and incredibly efficient to create captivating educational videos.

We understand just how hard it can be to persuade those calling the shots to invest in video technology that will actually make a difference in achieving learning success. With OnlineVideoEditor, however, you can even start without needing a budget, as all students, teachers, school staff, faculty and academic personnel are entitled to a free education account, based on the email domain of your school, college or university.