33 Kaitlin Uebelhor – Video Victories and Validation Within a High School Classroom

Kaitlin Uebelhor is a student in the Master of Arts program studying English and plans on graduating at the end of the Summer 2024 session. She is married with two children and is honored to be nominated so she can be a good example for her kids as well as her students.  This work is a sample website that guides other educators in using multimodal techniques within the classroom. Accompanying the video is also a paper discussing research and decisions regarding Kaitlin’s website.  Professor Jackie Kauza notes, “Kaitlin created a wonderfully complex and detailed website exploring ideas for incorporating video into composition classrooms. The website is gloriously multimodal, with audio and video throughout (so many rich and interesting videos!). I particularly loved the ideas about prompting students to create essay questions based on video games they are passionate about.”

Video Victories and Validation Within a High School Classroom

Since the beginning of time, images have always captured and enthralled our society. Cavemen drew pictures on walls, Michelangelo produced beautiful paintings that speak to the soul, and today, the old and the young alike post pictures of their favorite people and topics online for everyone to view. Storytelling and communication are also key aspects of mankind’s intellectual journey as they not only provide information but enable the listener to connect on an emotional and social level with others. When we combine these concepts, we create the video which is one of the most exciting, frustrating, and interactive tools for teaching. The video can be a wonderful teaching asset, but many educators fear it as this type of learning technique is foreign to them. The exploration of how to use videos within a high school classroom reveals many positives and several negatives for both the teacher and the students.

Part I: The Mechanics of Using Videos in a High School Classroom

Educators are surrounded by technology. The days of chalkboards and hand-written essays are extinct and have been replaced by classroom computers. Teachers have an obligation to their students to utilize technology within their curriculum and an effective way to do so is to create video lessons. However, before a video assignment can be successful, it is imperative that educators inform their students how to learn from a video rather than simply letting them watch a screen with limited direction. This concept was foreign to me, even though I have used videos on countless occasions. Last year, I produced a video that demonstrated how to create a Works Cited page for an essay. I showed my computer screen in the video and used a step-by-step approach to demonstrate my content, but students continued to ask questions that I felt they should have understood after viewing the video. Avra Robinson believes that teachers should “[d]iscuss how pausing, rewinding, and fast-forwarding can help students interact more productively with the video. Model how to pause the recording and engage in the activity” (“Teaching Students”). We should not assume that students understand how to use technology simply because it has been a main focal point in their personal and educational worlds. Educators must show students that videos are not meant to be rushed and that taking the time to pause the video or rewind it can be beneficial. By utilizing videos effectively, Robinson believes that students can “control” their learning (“Teaching Students How to Learn From Videos”). Overall, allowing students to have authority in their studies can create a sense of empowerment that can lead to academic success.

Another crucial factor to consider when creating a video is the time it takes to view it. The average high school class is 45-50 minutes long. Teachers need to analyze how much time students truly have to complete their work in the classroom. For example, it takes educators about five minutes for class to get started after the students walk in and attendance is taken. Any veteran teacher also knows that students will start packing up their belongings and talking to friends in the last remaining minutes of the class. Therefore, teachers have roughly 35-40 minutes of instructional time. Cynthia Brame highlights a study that focused on “analyzing results from 6.9 million video-watching sessions” (“Effective Education Videos”). The results illustrated that the ideal video was six minutes long, with student engagement dropping during 9-12 minute videos. Another study completed at the University of Wisconsin-Stout demonstrates the benefits of completing mini-lessons for college courses. Students filled out a survey at the end of the semester and revealed videos that were 15 minutes or less were the most favorable and educational (Berg et al 1). With this information, it is evident that the ideal video length for high school students is 10-15 minutes. Part of a high school educator’s duties is to prepare students for university coursework. Creating a video that is 10 minutes in length would ensure that students have enough time in class to finish it, and it should hold their attention. A 15-minute video is also acceptable as it introduces students to the type of video length they may encounter in college or the workforce. The previously mentioned study does illustrate that attention drops when videos are longer than six minutes, but a shorter video may not allow the student to retrieve the necessary information. I feel that a 10-minute video would be the most beneficial as students would have time to ask the educator questions after viewing the material. Also, a video that does not take the length of the class period permits students to work at their own pace. Some students may watch the video at a normal speed while others will slow it down or speed it up depending on their personal preference. A shorter video also ensures that students can watch it a second time in class if they so desire.

Another consideration for high school teachers is that some students will not have the time to finish their work outside of the classroom. I taught at a high school that eliminated study hall and replaced it with “Impact period.” This was a time when students would go to their homeroom and work on assignments. However, the initial objective for this period changed quickly. Teachers began pulling students to their classrooms to take tests they had missed or for remedial purposes. The administration also altered the Impact period purpose by employing it as a time for pep sessions, college information programs, bullying seminars, club meetings, etc. Students complained that they did not have time to work on their schoolwork as Impact period was taken from them. Other impediments to completing homework were after-school jobs, sporting events, and personal obstacles such as not having internet access at home. Therefore, in order to produce the best results, high school educators should keep their video lessons at 10-15 minutes as this length will benefit the students and teacher.

PART II: Student and Teacher Use of Videos

In the past, students were expected to read from a textbook and use paper for their assignments. Education has changed and blossomed with the expansion into the world of technology, and videos can have an amazing influence in the classroom. One of the most significant benefits of videos is the freedom and inclusion it provides to students. Society acknowledges that every student has individual needs and videos allow for differentiation in the classroom. In an article found in the International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, one student expressed “I have to watch the video lecture again because the class progresses faster than the previous course I took” (Costley and Lange 7). Another student said, “My professor is so slow that I always keep the speed at 2.0.” Videos allow inclusion for those students with disabilities and all students can manipulate videos to suit their educational preferences. For example, students with hearing impairments, as well as those without hearing impairments, can use captions to better comprehend the content. If the teacher speaking in the video has an accent or speaks too quickly, captions are significant because they can allow more clarity for the student. Also, students who do not primarily speak English can use the captions in their native language.

The visual configuration of a video is another key component for teachers to consider. Costley and Lange reveal that “small visuals can create extraneous cognitive processing by exerting additional effort to make sense of undersized images or text, which ultimately negatively affecting content comprehension” (13). High school teachers should use websites in their videos to demonstrate their material. One such website is Canva which gives the creator access to online whiteboards, presentations, flyers, etc. It even emulates social media pages! Matthew Kruger-Ross and Pauline Schmidt believe that when students create these visuals, utilizing websites, such as Canva, can help students “focus on the substance” (58).

The final visual that needs to be addressed is an image of the teacher. When students are watching a video, they do not receive the in-person dialogue between the teacher and student which is incredibly powerful. Aimee Morrison states “Students tell me things, and our collective and intellectual scholarly work, as well as the experiences we share as learners in the classroom, are far richer for it” (176). Morrison is correct in her belief that students need a connection with their instructor. Educators can show themselves in a video which can help to build the student and the teacher relationship. Overall, both students and teachers will find positive results when they use stimulating visuals in their videos.

When used properly, videos can have many positive effects on students, especially those in high school. Once again, an educator must consider his or her students and how they process information. Brame illustrates “that working memory has two channels for information acquisition and processing: a visual/pictorial channel and an auditory/verbal-processing channel” (“Effective Educational Videos”). This information leads me to the conclusion that the most educational videos for high school students will include images and sound. There are multiple ways to incorporate this type of video in the high school classroom. One interactive method is having students complete an online game while recording their computer screen. The teacher may use educational websites, such as Gimkit, which would help them control the content. They can also have students choose their own online game to play and record. The purpose of this assignment would be for the students to speak throughout the video and explain what they are doing and why they are doing it. If the teacher allows students to choose their own game, this would not only enhance critical thinking skills but allow students autonomy within their assignment. For example, if I were a student working on this activity, I would choose to play The Sims 3 computer game. I could explain in my video how to create a house and analyze the best options for success. Morrison finds that a connection between education and personal interests can be beneficial when she states “I would not want to understate the link between personal history and scholarly pathways: complex intersections of factors both personal and institutional, never mind happenstance, lead scholars into their specialties (174). An activity that encourages student interests would be entertaining for the student while potentially encouraging their future occupational choices as well as allowing the teacher to better understand the student’s interests.

Another wonderful tool that encompasses audio and visual stimulation is a website called Camtasia. When asking students to create videos in class, it is important to provide effective tools. Screencastify is a nice website to use when creating videos, but it does have a time limit on the video length, and it lacks the creative components that Camtasia possesses. Camtasia not only enables the user to create videos, but it has options for various backgrounds, effects, and even sizes of the video (“Camtasia Tutorials”). The size of the video may not seem like an important consideration when implementing a video in the classroom, but this option permits students to upload their work to an unlimited amount of various websites.

When students hear the words “video” or “movie”, they often rejoice as they believe it will be an easy class day with limited interaction between the teacher and his or her students. However, videos should be anything but a free class day. Robinson feels that educators should use the phrase “interact with a video” (“Teaching Students”). She states that “By changing the term from watch to interact, we send a message to students that they need to be present, focused, and engaged with the content of the video” (“Teaching Students”). One way that students can interact with a video is through a website called HapYak where the user can upload or create a video and add annotations in it. HapYak is more effective than websites such as Edpuzzle as it has an annotation feature where the creator can place comments within the video (Brame 1). This website also features a feedback section where teachers can leave specific notes for individual students. HapYak would be amazing in a high school classroom because it permits teachers to create annotations within the video and assess student comprehension through questions embedded in the video.

In the past, educators had no choice but to spend hours writing feedback on student assignments. Videos provide a reprieve from the countless hand cramps and ink stains as teachers can now record their thoughts rather than write them. Teachers may use programs, such as Screencastify, to record their thoughts (“10 Creative Ways”). For example, the student’s assignment can be on the teacher’s screen while the teacher is recording. This enables the student to listen to the teacher’s feedback as well as visually view their mistakes. The teacher could also have an online rubric, and they can share this on the video screen as well. Recording is an efficient and more thorough way of improving teacher feedback. It decreases the time the educator devotes to feedback, and it allows students to see and hear a more invasive description of their grade and rubric. Furthermore, teachers may record their screens as well as have their own image placed on the screen which creates a better relationship between the teacher and the student (“10 Creative Ways”). Implementing videos for feedback demonstrates that videos provide benefits not only for the students but also for the teacher, creating a winning scenario for all those involved.

The final positive aspect of videos I would like to address is how they can assist student parents. I taught in a town where many parents did not speak English. It was very unsettling when they came for a parent-teacher conference in October, and I realized that they could not communicate with me and vice versa. I felt ashamed, as we were two and a half months into the semester, and parents who could not speak English had no connection to their child’s class and teacher. A solution to this problem is to record videos of the syllabus and class expectations (“10 Creative Ways”). Parents who do not speak English may use the captions to understand the content of the video, and the teacher can increase the connection to the student’s family by adding their image to the video. This tactic illustrates that videos have a variety of purposes that can establish connections with students and families as well as increase educational progress within a high school classroom.

Despite the effectiveness of videos in the high school classroom, multiple issues arise. One problem is the lack of space students have to record a video. I have noticed that when I ask students to record themselves in my classroom, they attempt to spread out around the room, but struggle to find a private space. Many of them feel awkward being in such a close vicinity to their peers and refuse to speak until others are working on their videos. Their hesitancy to begin their work squanders precious time to complete their assignment or ask questions regarding the video content. A fantastic solution to this issue is a private room in the school where students may record their work. The Learning Technology Services at Wisconsin-Stout “has a dedicated “quiet” room for multimedia recording. This room has sound-dampening walls, a computer with Camtasia installed, and a studio-quality microphone” (Berg et al). If high schools had this type of room, teachers could reserve it for specific class periods and allow students time to visit and complete their work. Another problem that can occur is the lack of equipment. Students will need headphones when watching a video on their computers in the classroom, but some schools are banning listening devices as students use them inappropriately and for non-educational purposes. One solution would be for students to watch the video at home, yet some students do not have internet access. To counteract these situations, schools should purchase classroom sets of headphones for teachers who want to use videos. Schools could also purchase hotspot routers that would enable students to have internet access at home.

The final issue I will address is the failure to demonstrate content knowledge when using videos. Evelyn Meyer and Lee Forester praise the use of videos, but they do acknowledge that at times, students can become preoccupied with the technical aspects of video creation (201). They may spend too much time editing their video and not enough time focusing on the facts and content they are trying to illustrate in their work. This problem can be eliminated if teachers monitor student work throughout the project. Educators cannot sit at their desks, but rather they should be moving around the room and engaging with students while the class works on their videos. Altogether, the benefits of using videos in the classroom greatly outweigh any negative aspects.

In conclusion, videos are a wonderful addition to the high school curriculum and can help students and teachers generate amazing advances within education. As the world of technology continues to grow and evolve, teachers must progress with it, and they may do this by understanding how videos should be utilized in the classroom. Teachers should ensure that videos are short in length, stimulate students, and encourage academic prowess. Students can expand their educational intellect and personal growth through their own video creations. When videos are used efficiently within a high school classroom, students receive a priceless multimodal tool that will continue to benefit them for the rest of their lives.