Using Video to Build STEM Engagement

Today’s learners are active consumers, producers, and critics of video content.

By the time many students enter middle school, they are adept at filming, editing, and publishing video content. Today’s smartphones are capable of producing high-resolution video and free editing applications are widely available for both computers and mobile devices.

To build engagement and relevance, leverage the power of video with project-based learning. Learners can use video to document learning and elevate traditional essays and presentations to a rich, relevant format.

Sun Cho and David Bang, students at the Depoali Middle School SmartLab in Reno, NV, provided us with video that demonstrates clear mastery of a complex scientific concept, DNA transcription and translation.

The process of making the video reinforced these concepts and required a far deeper understanding than would be necessary for more traditional methods of assessment. The popularity and ease of sharing videos on social media channels provides additional relevance and motivation for learning.

Video projects also satisfy Next Generation Science Standards, which emphasize a deeper understanding of science concepts over memorizing a wide range of facts.

While video projects can be more time consuming than other methods of documentation and assessment, it’s a powerful tool to engage today’s learners in STEM.