Fully integrating video lectures
into undergraduate teaching
Martin Turner & John Erskine
Psychology, Sport and Exercise
Introduction
• Tasked with writing a new level 6 module - N = 45.
• VoiceThread already prominent on MSc Sport & Exercise Psychology
and Sport & Exercise Science Awards
Wanted to:
a. Move to more active student centered pedagogy via increased
engagement of level 6 students
b. Maximize the attainment of level 6 students
c. Develop a “21st century” module
Outcome: Adopt a ‘flipped classroom’ approach to this new module
using VoiceThread!
Why Flip the Class?
Concerns about traditional lectures….
• Attentional span of students
• Effectiveness of ‘information transmission’ approach re
learning/understanding
• Early starts vs. parking
• Illness
• Attendance - Part-time work to pay
for education
Why Flip the Class?
Concerns about traditional lectures….
Flipped Classroom 1
• Description:
a learning environment in which the activities traditionally
completed outside of class as homework are now completed in
class during instruction time. And, the activities traditionally
completed in class are now completed on students’ own time
before class. In many definitions and models, this means
students watch a video of prerecorded lectures before class.
Then, when they arrive to class, they work through assignments
or activities with their peers and the instructor.
Flipped Classroom 2
• An emerging trend in education ….
University of Sheffield replaced lectures with short videos
“…not only did students watch the vast majority of the videos on
time, but attendance improved dramatically…we had added
somewhere between 4 and 12 marks to the average grade of
a student.”
Khan Academy
Flipped Classroom 3: Why use
VoiceThread to flip?
• VoiceThread is a web based platform that allows lecturers and
students to upload images, video, PowerPoint or documents
and comment on these resources via video, audio or text and
invite others to record their responses to these comments.
• Simple to use/adopt….
- Recording starts on each slide – not one big recording.
- Once recording is completed, a link is provided.
- Paste link into Bb so students can access it.
What did we do?
Replaced 50 minute lecture with 2-3 short video
lectures (VLs)
-Retained 2 hour seminar
-Included tasks and activities for seminar
Each seminar commenced with a recap/mini quiz
based on the VL.
Took feedback early in module to make sure students
didn’t hate it!
What did we do?
• VL went live every Friday for the following week
(based on student feedback)
• Student use was monitored (statistics tracking)
• Issues with videos communicated via discussion
board by students
• Students asked to indicate 2 areas for further
exploration for the seminar
An Example VL
Dual comments
https://voicethread.com/myvoice/#q.b6059229.
i31100478
Tasks for workshops
https://voicethread.com/share/6139216/
Live Demo
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Uploading PowerPoint to VoiceThread
Adding comments and video to VoiceThread
Creating your link
Linking video lecture to blackboard.
Monitoring video usage
Student prep for
workshops
The Psychology of Competitive Performance
Video Lecture Notes template
Section 1: General notes on the video lecture/s
Section 2: Discussion Points (cut and paste this section into the
“Discussions” section in Blackboard for this module and for this
week).
• For the workshop (to be completed and pasted into the
Blackboard discussion board)
• Two/Three things that I would like to discuss further in this week’s
workshop are…(one sentence max; enter a minimum of 2 points)
Contentious Issues
Value for Money
-
Watching a film at the cinema vs. owning the film on DVD
If students CANT attend, they haven’t missed out
Isn't personal human interaction important?
- Yes – we kept the seminars for this.
- “Real lecturing is irreplaceable in the same way that live theatre or
musical performance is irreplaceable – seeing and hearing each
other in real-time and working together on something they both
value.” - Bruce Charlton, Evolutionary Psychologist:
- This is the world we/they live in.
Feedback from students
Strong
agree
Agree
Somew
hat
agree
neither
Some
what
disagree
disagree
Strong
disagree
VLs were
enjoyable
3
7
3
2
0
1
1
VLs were
beneficial
7
4
2
2
1
1
0
VLs better than
normal Ls
6
1
2
3
0
2
2
VLs allow
learning
flexibility
7
3
3
0
1
1
2
“Some weeks I have missed them as been busy and
forgot but I wouldn't of forgot to go to a normal
lecture.”
Conclusions/Questions
• VoiceThread is a useful way to flip the classroom.
• Easy to use and access by lecturers and students.
• Most students enjoyed and engaged in the new style.
• Attainment:
– Mean grade = 63%
– Good Degrees = 59.6%