Encoding Information: Improving Student Learning Through Video in the Classroom

Learning new concepts is not easy, especially when they are hard to visualize. It is not uncommon to hear students talk about how abstract different concepts can seem, making it hard to retain information.

Video in the classroom changes that by tapping into human biology. Half of the human brain is devoted to vision or vision related functions. Using that tendency toward visual learning through video helps children encode what they have learned more easily, and helps that learning stick.

Rebecca*, a standard seven student at a primary school in Nairobi, Kenya, described how Impact(Ed)'s video library has helped improve her academic performance.

“Most of the diagrams [that] I never understood [covered] the digestive and circulatory system. But since the day I watched the video on body systems, I am now able to label them without looking in the text book."

Rebecca's lessons, taught by teachers trained in using video for classroom, are made possible by the Discovery Project, funded by the UK government through DFID’s Girls’ Education Challenge (GEC) and implemented by Impact(Ed) since 2013.

“Learning mathematics using video is very interesting," Rebecca told us. "We once watched a video on fractions and it covered division, addition and multiplication and I really liked that.  I also love the video on road safety, especially where we have the traffic lights and zebra crossing."

In addition to learning fractions and other mathematical concepts, Rebecca and her classmates are also learning about key health issues affecting their community, such as HIV and personal hygiene.

"I now have a lot of knowledge on HIV and AIDS. I have really learned a lot from these videos,” Rebecca said.