Getting More From Online Videos: Using EDpuzzle in The Classroom

New pedagogies are regularly being adopted in education. One such pedagogy is the flipped classroom which moves the preparation outside of the classroom and allows for a variety of activities then to occur inside the... [ view full abstract ]

New pedagogies are regularly being adopted in education. One such pedagogy is the flipped classroom which moves the preparation outside of the classroom and allows for a variety of activities then to occur inside the classroom. Such activities range from discussion to team work. The use of video lessons watched outside the classroom is often incorporated so that students can watch lectures at their convenience and can review topics repeatedly if necessary.  Students using online videos to enhance teaching and learning have earned higher cumulative test scores than those who attended a “traditional” undergraduate course (Caviglia-Harris, 2016). 

Video usage is also the predominant educational tool used in Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs).  As MOOCs become more and more popular, there is a need to learn more about how to effectively share videos with students to maximize their learning. 

Finally, the use of videos for just general online learning has been steadily increasing.  Sites similar to Lynda.com or Khan Academy allow individuals to learn about topics of interest at their own pace without seeking a degree. 

As the use of videos for online learning increases, so does the need to ensure that learning is occurring.  Studies that have investigated the most effective way to implement multimedia instructional design, focusing on videos, in particular.  EDpuzzle offers a method to distribute those lectures as well as other videos to students while also giving a variety of feedback tools to the educator. 

The purpose of this paper is to review some of those findings and apply them to the use of EDpuzzle, a free online source for video sharing that allows educators to enhance the learning process by incorporating quizzes, voiceovers and notes.  Each of these attributes, as well as others offered by EDpuzzle will be discussed.  A description of the program will be provided followed by a discussion of ways it can be used in the classroom.  Finally, advantages and disadvantages of the program will be outlined.