INTERACTIVE VIDEO

Ready to go the next step to make video eLearning even more engaging? Add some interactive components such as video quizzing, branching (Choose Your Own Adventure), or hotspots. There are now dozens of platform providers to help you create active learning experiences embedded right inside your videos!

Video Quizzing

Video quizzing is for teachers and trainers who want to add interactivity to their instructional videos in order to maintain attention, ensure learner participation, and improve retention. At key points within your videos, you can embed targeted questions as “knowledge checks” and “accountability checks.”

The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS (2013) reports that inserting memory tests in video lectures decreases mind-wandering, increases note-taking, and improves learning overall.

Choose from a variety of online services that make it easy to add questions to your videos. Most provide video analytics with viewer engagement data to:

measure grasp of material
spot areas of misunderstanding
know how and where to adjust instructional content

A few services offer free basic accounts to teachers and students along with subscription plans for additional features: Edpuzzle (https://edpuzzle.com/) and Playposit (https://go.playposit.com/).

Here are a few that even have integration in LMS gradebooks:

More good news! Some fee-based platform providers have institutional accounts, so inquire of your IT Dept to see if you already have free access to a service.

Here's an example video

quiz from TechSmith Relay:

Let's Practice

Some things to consider:

What are the most important pieces of information or instruction that you want your viewers to learn…and retain?
Where are the most strategic places in your video to place intentional pauses for reflection or targeted review questions?
Craft your questions carefully. Put time into question composition to make sure each one is reinforcing learning objectives and not simply asking a question for its own sake. For example:

What is the purpose of your question?

Instructional videos with quizzes for training may have questions for step-by-step processes or procedures.
Educational videos with quizzes for active learning may have more conceptual questions and test for making connections and critical thinking.

What type of question will serve your purpose?

Multiple Choice
True-False
Fill-in-the-Blank
Free Response

What other functions will meet learning objectives? TechSmith Relay and other services allow you to add actions after questions are answered:

Feedback revealed
Continue with viewing
Jump to previous time for review
Link to a URL

Additional Resources:

11 Web Tools to Creative Interactive Videos and Quizzes

7 Excellent Tools for Creating Interactive Video Quizzes

Branching (CYOA)

Branching Video, aka "Choose Your Own Adventure," is interactive video at its best! At certain decision points within the video, viewers are asked questions and then redirected to new "branches" of video that have been customized to their responses. Viewers experience a choice-based digital story. Learners are directed to instructional video that best fits their learning needs.

Some benefits to branching video:

longer viewing time
higher level of engagement
adaptive/personalized learning

Here is a link to an example branching video from Dot.vu, an interactive video platform for marketers and trainers:

Callebaut Chocolates recipe-maker branching video

Even More...

There are many more options for making your videos more interactive. Below are some of the most common interactive elements added to videos. (Chart available from HapYak (https://corp.hapyak.com/), A Beginners Guide to Making an Interactive Video available as a free download: https://go.hapyak.com/beginners-guide-to-making-an-interactive-video/.)