Finally - a way to make YouTube videos work for your learners

Zaption is a great web-based resource for those teachers who make use of the huge number of educational videos available on Youtube. It is free to enjoy the basic features, which are more than adequate; either create an account or sign-in using Google log-in credentials.

Once in, select ‘New Tour’ and paste a Youtube URL into the box at the top, press ‘Search’ and then add the video to your Tour (multiple videos can be added with a premium account). Once the Tour is created you will see your video in the screen, with a timeline beneath it and box to the right. The next few steps are quick and simple:

1. Give your Tour a title.

2. Position the red marker at a point in the timeline where you want to add a task.

3. Select a task from the blue icon bar at the top; for example, multiple choice.

4. Drag the Multiple Choice icon into the box on the right, type in a question, type in some answers and then set the correct answer using the plus icon.

5. Move the timeline marker to another point in the video and repeat the process with the range of icons and activities available.

When you publish the Tour and share the link to your students, the video will stop at each designated point and they will be required to complete each task you set before they can proceed.

To do this, once finished select ‘Publish’ and then grab the link to send to your students. When they have the link and are completing the tasks, you will be able to see their progress and a whole host of information in the ‘Analytics’ section, providing instant feedback on their understanding of, and at, particular points in the content.

This is a brilliant resource for enhancing the use of Youtube videos in the classroom, ensuring that the pupils attention is focused on the content you wish them to identify and understand.

Blogged out by Matt :)