Increase K-12 Student Engagement in a Flipped Classroom With Creative Video Projects

By on February 21, 2019
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Video content provides an engaging way for students to learn, create and share information. But video is not just for university-level instructor lecture sharing or higher education student projects.

One of the best ways to increase K-12 student engagement in a flipped classroom and encourage a deeper level of learning is through creative video projects.

Many K-12 schools and classrooms are already using a “flipped learning” methodology—that is, a combination of face-to-face interaction between the teacher and students and independent study outside of the classroom. While viewing video content is often a part of that independent study, incorporating student-created video projects is an area of opportunity for K-12 learning.

Why creative video projects are so effective

“Learning by teaching” improves retention

Research shows that “learning by teaching” fosters a deeper understanding and longer-lasting retention than passively studying information. When students become teachers, they have to fully internalize the information, recall it and clearly communicate it to others.

A great way to implement this “learning by teaching” process is through creative video projects. These assignments provide interactive, engaging learning experiences—both for the student who creates and presents the video content and for the classmates who view it.

Many students already enjoy creating videos

In this modern day of smartphones, students enjoy watching, recording and sharing videos with friends. Recent research shows that YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat are the most popular online platforms among teens, a shift from 2014-2015 data in which Facebook was the clear winner. By including this type of visual, creative content within the learning experience, teachers are harnessing their students’ natural curiosity and motivation.

While many K-12 students already seem to be video sharing experts, an academic video project encourages them to go beyond simply recording and sharing quick videos on social media. To successfully complete a video project, students have to engage with the material in a deeper way.

Content creation helps students hone important skills

They have to learn more about a topic, capture relevant video content on a smartphone or video recorder, edit and add to it and then upload or present the finished product. In the process, students hone a range of transferable skills, including research, collaboration, problem-solving and organizational skills.

Through creative video projects, students learn how to visually communicate—they must “show” AND “tell” about a topic in a clear, effective way—and how to use technology to edit the videos and add text, slides, voiceovers and music. When students are required to not only submit their videos for grading but also present them to the class, they’re given an opportunity to sharpen their presentation skills.

The technical skills and multimedia tools they use become valuable knowledge they can carry with them into future schooling and even their careers.

How students can use video content for learning across subjects

Teachers can weave video creation and presentation into their lessons in so many ways. Some examples of student-created video projects include:

  • a screen-captured tech tutorial

  • an interactive presentation on a topic the student is passionate about

  • an educational lesson, complete with a quiz for their classmates

  • a “movie trailer” as a video version of a traditional book report

  • a hands-on demonstration of an experiment, recipe or craft

  • a visual how-to guide for a step-by-step process

  • a student-narrated tour of a special location

  • a reenactment of a significant event or story

  • a news report sharing current events

  • an interview with a family member or someone in the community

  • a whiteboard or stop-motion animation

  • a game show, talent show or talk show that showcases a topic or set of facts

These video assignments work with a range of subjects and topics, allowing students more opportunities to explore, engage and be creative with ongoing classroom curriculum.

How a video platform allows students to easily create and upload video projects

With Ensemble, users can upload videos in nearly any format. This compatibility cuts down on any technical barriers to learning and streamlines the process for sharing and submitting videos.

Some of Ensemble Video’s features that make it easier for students to create video projects include:

Google Classroom compatibility

Many schools utilize Chromebooks for independent study and multimedia lessons. Our new Chromebooks extension provides a way for students of all ages to easily create and upload video projects for their classes. Students can record webcam and screen capture videos on their Chromebooks and then upload them to Ensemble. The extension is also compatible with Google Classroom, fully streamlining the K-12 classroom experience.

Editing tools and video quizzes

When schools provide access to a video platform like Ensemble, students can use features like screen and audio capture, as well as simple editing tools, to create and polish their videos. They can also add video quizzes to further capture their classmates’ attention when presenting their video content.

Video Dropbox

Our Video Dropbox feature makes it easy for students to submit projects for grading. With this tool, students can upload assignments to individual teachers, even without having to create an Ensemble account. Teachers receive all completed videos in one place, rather than having to keep track of an assortment of emails with different links, files and formats.

Many schools have privacy concerns with sharing video content, especially at the K-12 level. A custom video platform includes security settings that allow schools to control access and set viewing restrictions. This means administrators, teachers and parents can feel confident that student content is secure and will only be viewed by the intended audiences.

 

If you’re interested in using a K-12 video platform for student video projects, contact us for a free trial. Find out how to further engage your students and give them an opportunity to learn new skills and absorb content more deeply.

 

About Scott Nadzan

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