Many science teachers face practical limitations that prevent them from conducting certain experiments in class. Equipment costs, safety concerns, time constraints, and ethical issues can restrict what can be done in school laboratories. As a result, students are unlikely to observe large-scale physics demonstrations, advanced biology techniques, or high-risk chemistry reactions that could benefit their understanding. Videos offer a solution by offering demonstrations that would otherwise be impossible to conduct in person. For instance, chemistry videos can safely show the reaction of sodium with water, while physics videos can reveal how objects fall in a vacuum chamber. According to Zhang et al. (2006), video-based learning environments increase student engagement and provide access to experiences that would otherwise remain abstract or inaccessible. By bringing demonstrations into the classroom virtually, videos extend the range of scientific possibilities.
Simulations!
Simulations in video learning allow students to visualize scientific processes that are either too small, too fast, or too dangerous to observe directly. For example, atomic simulations can show electron orbitals moving around nuclei as seen in the video to the left.
Demonstrations!
Video demonstrations give students access to experiments that might be too costly or unsafe to perform in the classroom. A physics class can watch large-scale demonstrations of electricity, while a chemistry class can observe reactive metals exploding in water. These demonstrations provide opportunities beyond what is possible in school classrooms, offering safe and engaging ways to connect theory to observable outcomes.
Labs!
Laboratory learning can be enhanced by providing step-by-step instructions and model procedures. Pre-lab videos help students arrive better prepared. In virtual lab contexts, videos can even substitute for hands-on work by providing interactive experiences where students analyze results and practice scientific reasoning, ensuring equitable access when lab resources are limited.
New Perspectives
Videos also provide perspectives that are impossible to replicate in the classroom. High-speed cameras can capture events that occur too quickly for the naked eye, such as sparks igniting or observing the flight and eating patterns of a hummingbird. Similarly, time-lapse videos can compress lengthy processes like crystal growth or plant development into a form that can be observed in minutes. These unique perspectives enhance scientific understanding and help learners appreciate processes that span different scales of time and detail. Research shows that dynamic visualizations like slow motion and animation improve comprehension of complex, time-dependent processes compared to static media (Höffler & Leutner, 2007). These techniques allow students to observe science from entirely new points of view, making their learning richer and more engaging.
Videos make science education richer by showing experiments that can’t always be done in the classroom, linking lessons to real-world examples, and giving students new ways to see complex ideas. These advantages enable students to experience science in an engaging and meaningful way, even when schools have limited resources. When used thoughtfully, videos help students see science not just as abstract ideas, but as a practical and dynamic field that explains the world around us.
References
Carolina Science. (2010, Feb 17). Setting up and Performing a Titration. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFpFCPTDv2w&t=12s
EatsTooMuchJam. (2014, May 28). A pound of sodium metal in the river. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UsRiPOFLjk
Flixventures. (2019, Jan 23). Beauty of Crystallization - A Time Lapse Video about Crystal Growth. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lo0cp2uhxb0&list=RDlo0cp2uhxb0&start_radio=1
Höffler, T. N., & Leutner, D. (2007). Instructional animation versus static pictures: A meta-analysis. Learning and Instruction, 17(6), 722-738. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2007.09.013
Minutephysics. (2021, May 19). A Better Way To Picture Atoms. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2Xb2GFK2yc&t=20s
National Geographic. (2017, July 18). See Hummingbirds Fly, Shake, Drink in Amazing Slow Motion | National Geographic. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtUQ_pz5wlo&t=16s
Zhang, D., Zhou, L., Briggs, R. O., & Nunamaker, J. F. (2006). Instructional video in e-learning: Assessing the impact of interactive video on learning effectiveness. Information & Management, 43(1), 15-27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2005.01.004