Using Video as a STEM Teaching Tool

KEY POINTS

• Find the right videos to fit your lessons.
• Encourage discussion before, during, and after the video.
• Direct students to take notes.

Many STEM concepts can be complicated and difficult for students to understand. Often, presenting this content in a different form can help students gain a better understanding of the material. A great way to do this is to incorporate videos into your classroom activities. This change of pace can keep instruction exciting by offering a new way to keep students engaged in the topic at hand.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT VIDEOS

With so many educational videos out there, it can be difficult to find the right one for your STEM lesson. YouTube can be an excellent place to find educational videos that cover a variety of subjects. There are many STEM-oriented channels on Youtube that can serve as good options, such as SciShow or MinutePhysics. Shorter videos, like TED Talks, can enhance your lesson without taking over an entire day of instruction like a full movie might.

In addition to YouTube, there are a variety of educational STEM websites that offer videos to enhance classroom lessons. These can be found easily via a quick search on Google. Whichever video you select, be sure that it fits into the subject matter of your lesson and explains content in a fun and unique way.

FACILITATING DISCUSSION

Once you have found the perfect video, the next step is ensuring that students remain engaged. Before the video begins, encourage students to raise their hands and ask questions about the subject matter they are about to engage in. Once it begins, take occasional opportunities to pause the video and ask students questions about what they have seen so far. These brief check-ins are a great way to maintain students’ attention and keep them focused on the topic at hand. After the video is over, engage your students in some guided discussion, reaffirming the content in the video and clearing up any misconceptions that students might have.

TAKING NOTES

Having students take notes as they watch a video is another way to ensure that they get the most out of their viewing experience. Before starting the video, give students a general idea of the kind of information they should be looking for while they watch the video. For a more rigorous, formal approach, give students a small list of questions they should be able to answer using their notes. Alternatively, for a less formal approach, instruct students to write down the three most interesting things they learned from the video. When the video is finished, ask students to present their findings. This technique will not only sharpen students’ knowledge of the material but will also encourage classroom collaboration and active participation. When done strategically, videos can be useful teaching tools in the STEM classroom.

— Dr. Jake Roark