Among the grand breadth of digital media, one of the most prevalent forms are videos of all kinds: instructional, musical, just-for-fun, documentary... The list could go on and on. During my secondary education experience, I was constantly watching videos or turning to them for explanation and clarification. However, I did not know how to watch them, thus 4 times out of 5 watching them passively and not getting much out of them. Videos are becoming increasingly popular in education, and as they become a go-to for teachers to explain content, supplement curriculum, and engage students, it is extremely important to teach students how to watch videos effectively.
Instead of promoting a pattern of passivity in the classroom as I experienced, teachers must help students interact with what they are watching. One way this can be done is by introducing the video first and providing necessary background information for the students before they press play. Likewise, teachers can ask students to participate in various methods of approaching the video, such as watching it straight through, watching it twice straight through with the second time taking notes, or pausing as the student progresses through the video.
In so many ways, technology is an asset, and videos have helped many students learn. What needs to be done, though, is teach students how before a habit of passivity forms.*
*Videos may not be an engaging method for some students, so this may only apply to the students who are interested in video instruction.
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