How University of Amsterdam used Interactive Video to optimise learners' self-study

• The desired outcome of this activity was that students are able to visualise in-class content through another medium.
• Furthermore, students should demonstrate their understanding of the course content.

Students are required to participate in 80% of the questions in the interactive materials, though not necessarily all with correct answers. Questions in the video correspond with topics covered in class.

• The maximum appropriate duration for the videos in this case tended to be about 40 minutes. Up to this point, student participation is generally high.
• The instructor chose for students ro receive their participation grade when they answered 80% of the questions, but this amount can be less or more as the course demands.
• Reading through students’ answers to questions allowed the instructor to have a sense of the atmosphere and also to see how students approach the material.
• Having to create questions requires the instructor to think about content and concepts.
• Interactive Video gives students a safe space to let their opinions about the material be heard.
• Once questions have been created it is simple to adapt and reuse the material for other sessions.

The role of the instructor

• At the start of the course the usage of the tool is explained to the students.
• The instructor checks the answers for each question and occasionally writes a response, but isn’t compelled to give an answer on each individual item.
• The instructor creates a safe learning environment where there are no right or wrong answers.
• Each week students’ progress with the task is checked by the instructor.

Added value of technology

• The open learning environment allows students to view each others’ contributions.
• Collating student responses lets the instructor roughly determine the mean level and content of these responses.