Using Educational Video in the Classroom Theory, Research and Practice

Other Studies 
 
A variety of other studies have supported the use of video with older students and 
in a variety of content areas and social skills. Some of these include:  
• A study by Rockman et al. (1996) of the academic impact of home and school 
viewing of Bill Nye the Science Guy showed that students who watched the 
program were able to provide more complete and complex explanations of 
scientific concepts after viewing the show. Additionally, the gaps in knowledge 
base between boys and girls and between minority and majority students were 
smaller and closer to parity after viewing the program.
• A study of the impact of Cyberchase on children’s problem-solving skills found 
that viewers outperformed nonveiwers in solving problems and produced more 
sophisticated solutions (Fisch, 2003).
• In two unrelated studies, the use of video to “anchor” instruction to a shared 
classroom experience resulted in improved vocabulary use, greater understanding 
of plot and characterization and increased ability to draw inferences based on 
historical information (Barron, 1989).
• A six-week study on the use of instructional television with eighth grade students 
found that students in the classes which included the television programming 

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outperformed the control groups in test scores, writing assignments, in variety and 
creativity of problem-solving skills, and in their engagement in class discussion 
(Barnes, 1997).
 
How can video address the needs of special populations? 
Video use is an effective educational tool for all students, but its positive effect on 
special populations of students is gaining greater attention all the time. According to a 
survey by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, these media are “highly valued as 
teaching tools” and “seen as especially effective for reaching visual learners and special 
populations” (CBP, 1997, p. 12). More than half of teachers surveyed describe TV and 
video as “very effective” for teaching students with learning disabilities or economic 
disadvantages.
Denning summarizes the benefits of video to a range of special student 
populations: 
Videos may help to promote learning in students with high visual orientation in 
their learning styles. Video can also provide visually-compelling access to 
information for many learners with learning difficulties who might miss learning 
opportunities provided solely by print-based materials. In this respect, videos 
provide important learning opportunities to students working in a second 
language. (p.2)
As Barron (1989) argues, not only can video create learning contexts that would 
not otherwise be accessible, “in some situations video is even superior to a field trip … 
because the video can be replayed and reviewed as often as necessary” to ensure learning 
by students with learning disabilities or who are otherwise at-risk for poor school success 
(p. 3).

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There are numerous advantages for such “at-risk” students when instruction is 
supplemented by the use of video: 
First, [video-based contexts] provide rich sources of information with 
opportunities to notice sensory images, dynamic features, relevant issues, and 
inherent problems. Second, they give students the ability to perceive dynamic 
moving events and to more easily form rich mental models. This advantage is