To cheer you up for the new year, I offer you:
In this four minute BBC video on YouTube, Hans Rosling animates life expectancy and income data from 200 countries over 200 years – in four minutes.
Short video clips inserted into online learning materials do not have to be these more expensive BBC productions, although they have a number of really excellent educational clips such as these on YouTube, which could be incorporated as well.
One great advantage of short videos as these is that they can provide concrete examples of abstract principles, often the first step to deep understanding. We are vastly underusing video in our online teaching. It is now simple and easy to do.
Dr. Tony Bates is the author of eleven books in the field of online learning and distance education. He has provided consulting services specializing in training in the planning and management of online learning and distance education, working with over 40 organizations in 25 countries. Tony is a Research Associate with Contact North | Contact Nord, Ontario’s Distance Education & Training Network.
