Create a learning path by enriching its instructional videos using free online tools

In this particular context of distance education, many teachers provide their students with varied educational content through videos (created personally, or fished on the Internet). However, we know that sending a link to a video is not enough to guarantee learning. Let's discover two tools allowing to create dynamic and interactive exercises to link directly to these audio-visual supports.

1- EdPuzzle

Do you want to link interactive questionnaires to your videos, or to already existing videos on YouTube? EdPuzzle is made for that. Easy to use, although the platform is only in English, it will be quick to get started.

EdPuzzle gives the possibility to use its own videos (up to 1 GB per file, which is a lot for an online platform). If, however, you want to go through YouTube, a simple copy / paste of the video URL will suffice (as easy as pie).

Three modification possibilities in order to adapt it to a learning path:

• "Cut": shorten the video and take only the part you want;
• "VoiceOver": completely change the sound track of a video to add your own explanations;
• “Questions”: add questions that will be asked when watching the video (multiple choice / open answer / write a note).

Finally, it should be noted that the student can benefit from immediate feedback during the exercise, through the “feedbacks” that the teacher himself will have foreseen.

Being able to create classes, and predict student connections, will make monitoring effective. Note that it is not necessary to go through this step when creating your interactive questionnaire, because you can simply send the URL to quickly perform the exercise (see below).

In summary : a free, simple and fast tool allowing to enrich educational videos, by integrating it in an interactive learning process, while not forgetting to end with a simple, but effective feedback!

• See this tutorial on the tool if you want to go further.
• Want to test an EdPuzzle example of the École branchée? Try via this link to get an idea!

2) LearningApps

Many of you are certainly familiar with the site Learningapps. As its name suggests, the principle here is the simple creation of educational applications (rather: online exercises).

Via this site, two uses will hold our attention: either by directly using the "video with insertion" functionality, or by using videos as a possible response.

In comparison with the first tool (EdPuzzle), we can note the pluses and minuses:

The +

• The site is available in French, which may facilitate its use. Then, the possibilities for interactions and questions will be more numerous than on EdPuzzle (and therefore may be able to respond to more educational intentions on the part of the teachers).
• Same possibility of creating a class, with ergonomics well thought out for teaching.
• We give the possibility to only use the audio of the videos present on YouTube.
• Completely free too. 

The -

• Even if the possibilities of questions are greater, their addition in the videos is much less intuitive than with EdPuzzle.
• It will not be possible to upload videos directly (you will have to go through YouTube only).

If this site also includes the possibilities of feedback for the pupils, on the other hand we will add "clues" here, allowing the pupils to be guided in the event of wrong answers and / or temporary difficulties (enough to support them during and after the lesson). 'exercise).

• A tutorial on the tool if you want to go further.
• Want to test an EdPuzzle example of the École branchée? Try via this link to get an idea!

As you can see, these two tools make it possible to enrich existing videos and improve their educational use through exercises that will be directly linked to them, to be carried out asynchronously, and most of the time remotely. 

However, we should not exclude reverse uses, where it is the students who independently design these exercises and applications in order to offer them to their peers (a perfect exercise in creative or collaborative synthesis!).

Note that these two example sites are not exhaustive. Teachers working directly via centralized digital platforms (such as Classroom or Office 365) will also be able to benefit from the tools already present on them. The Office 365 “Stream” application for example, will give the possibility (a bit like EdPuzzle) to link Forms questionnaires live to a video.

You will understand that a video, as beautiful as it is, does not do everything! It is up to us teachers, trainers and education professionals to make them the pieces of an educational puzzle that will take on its full meaning, in the midst of a well-thought-out methodology.

Good discovery to all.

In addition to this article, Carrefour education offers you other free tools to create interactive lessons and videos.