About Streaming Video: What does the research say?

Streaming video is not only extremely popular as a video blogging tool, it is also being used in classrooms across the United States. There are many benefits to using streaming video in the classroom. On the Penn State website dedicated to Teaching and Learning with Technology, Denning is cited as giving the following benefits to using streaming video:

• Videos can present visual information that is difficult to convey in other ways.
• Videos can provide visual access to situations or experiments that would otherwise be too dangerous or expensive for students to experience personally.
• Videos can be used to model positive behavior and to motivate students.
• Videos can provide messages about issues critical to the lives of learners or to the topic under consideration.
• Videos may help to promote learning in students with a highly visual orientation to their learning style.

From my own experience, I believe that video streaming can be used in any situation where a teacher might use a video. Video streaming gives a teacher a vast array of options that may not be available in the school's media center. Especially beneficial is the use of streaming video as a means to open a unit to "hook" a student, build background information, or provide scaffolding for a student who lacks the readiness to jump right into the content.

David Denning did extensive research on Video in the Classroom, and in his research report, he states that whereas video use in the classroom once was seen as a "free activity" or an activity to leave with a substitute, attitudes are changing and videos are being used powerfully as a powerful mode of visual communication. He emphasizes that video is to be used as an active learning process rather than as a passive intake of information. He gives examples of how video can be used as a pre-activity, a learning activity in itself, and as a post-activity. He gives some excellent practical suggestions - if you are interested in learning how to effectively incorporate video into your classroom, read what he has to say!