Using Video to Meet Instructional Goals

The Introduction to Physics segment of the Greatest Discoveries with Bill Nye: Physics video would be very useful to use in my physics classes. This video could be used to meet one of the physics course goals: having students demonstrate an understanding of paradigm shifts .

There are a number of ways this video could be used to meet this goal:

1. I could ask my online students to find graphics or videos online that depicts an example of a paradigm shift. My e-students would share their graphic on the whiteboard or share their video URL in the chatbox with their classmates. After we discuss their examples; I would share this video as my example and explain that this video focuses on the key paradigm shifts in physics which always makes for a good unit test question. Students would be advised to take notes.

2. While watching the video, students could create 3 challenging questions, related to the paradigm shift examples, which the video answers; students also need to make sure they know the answers. After watching the video, each student would quiz the rest of the class with their questions. This could be in teams or this could be done with students quizzing each other in small groups.

3. While watching the video students could create 2 challenging questions, related to the paradigm shift examples in the video, which the video does not answer. These questions could be discussed as a group after the video and the key specific questions that, after discussion, continued to be unanswered could be assigned and homework questions.

4. Student could watch the video and then write an analysis of the paradigm shifts that were shown in the video.

5. Students could be assigned to use this video to create a multimedia project of their own that demonstrates their understanding of the concept of paradigm shifts. They could chop up this video and just use the video section, inserting their own audio track. They could use a green screen and use this video as a backdrop. This could be used as part of a newscast multimedia project. They could use this to create a multimedia trivia game on the topic of paradigm shifts. Alternatively, student could propose their own project.