Using Interactive Videos to Encourage Active Learning

Research has shown that videos requiring high student interactivity can improve learning. This video is unusual in that it was used as a data source for conducting a time and motion study. The video contains no words, just unedited footage of harvest operations. This video was one of many utilized in ABE 885: Biomass Harvest and Logistics. The goal for students was to learn by doing, so students timed the field operations shown and then used the data to make calculations. Many agricultural activities occur only for a brief window during the year, but with videos like this one, time and motion studies of field operations can be practiced any time of year.

Instead of pressing play and watching passively, students need to engage with the video content by recording the time between bale drops. And the students need to determine if there are other data they can utilize such as weather conditions, or the time for a tractor to negotiate a corner. The timings collected from several videos are combined in the assignment in order to make calculations and propose ways to increase efficiency.

The technique of providing a video from which data can be collected by students has great potential for science labs, animal or human behavioral studies, and for many other disciplines.

Many instructors supplement their online course materials with instructor-created or third-party YouTube videos. While these videos can enhance the learning experience, they often leave students in a passive role. Current learning theory suggests that we can motivate more effective learning when learners play an active role rather than a passive role. Kaltura (Penn State’s tool for storing, publishing, and streaming media) can be used to insert quiz questions into videos to build interactivity, and in turn, help shift students from passive observers to active learners.

In this example, the Drilling Training video shows the four different question types supported by Kaltura quizzes: Reflection Point (0:09), Multiple Choice (0:21), True/False (0:40), and Open-Ended (1:04). Each question type, except for the Reflection Point, allows you to supplement the questions with hints and/or provide feedback indicating the rationale behind the correct answers. It is important to note that the Drilling Training video used in this example is a third-party YouTube video. Kaltura quiz questions can be added to instructor-created videos and to third-party YouTube videos.

You can share your quiz with a direct link to your Kaltura Media page or you can use two different embed codes (public or private) to add your quiz to an existing web page. If you are working in Canvas, you can also add the video quiz directly into your Canvas course space with the Embed Kaltura Media tool.

Veterinary and biomedical students are asked to watch a video of walking through a barn and to list the best practices for animal welfare and farm management shown in the video. They are also asked to list items that need to be improved. This offers a way to expand student experiences and allows them to practice evaluating without the time and expense of traveling. Further, this practice protects the biosecurity of the farm locations. Utilizing 360 video ensures a neutral presentation; students will not be directed to notice particular issues. Viewers need to move the view manually to see all the information offered.  A video of this type can be used for both practice and assessment.