Abstract:

In the past decade, new pedagogical strategies such as Flipped Teaching, Just-in-Time Teaching, and Peer-Instruction have gained prominence by moving content preparation outside the university classroom. At the start of class, the professor assesses students' understanding of the contents and, based on the results, can either review certain concepts or proceed with the planned lesson. However, these innovative teaching methods require educators to identify the most suitable activities for students to engage with outside of class, based on initial learning objectives. Video content has become a popular tool in many subjects for presenting concepts, reinforcing knowledge, and deepening understanding.

This paper explores the role of interactive video learning in higher education courses. But how do we know if students have understood the concepts presented? How can we keep their attention when they're watching educational videos? Interactive videos are becoming increasingly common in higher education, offering students the chance to engage directly with the content. Learning through interactive videos can be enjoyable, as students have the flexibility to learn anytime, anywhere, and on any device they choose. These videos can be used to summarize lessons or introduce new learning modules. While traditional videos have been a reliable digital medium for years, their linear nature often leads to passive consumption, where students simply watch without engaging. This passive participation is a significant issue, especially in a time where active engagement is crucial not only to capture students' attention but also to maintain it. In this paper, we delve into why interactive videos are not just a novelty but a necessity in today's fast-paced, interaction-driven digital landscape.

So, what exactly are interactive videos, and when should they be used? Interactive videos are a digital content format that allows students to interact with visual content, creating a more engaging and personalized learning experience-going beyond just pressing 'Play', 'Stop', or 'Pause.' This type of content enables the addition of various interactive elements, such as images, explanatory text, links, and quizzes that students can click on as they watch the video. There are numerous free tools available to insert interactive features into videos, including eXeLearning, H5P, EdPuzzle, PlayPosit, EducaPlay, and YouTube, among others. Interactive videos and tutorials can provide step-by-step guidance for solving problems, offering a more engaging and practical learning method compared to manuals or traditional FAQs.

This paper also presents several examples and the results obtained from their implementation. From the teachers' perspective, the experience has been highly positive. Additionally, this model offers more active and detailed feedback to both teachers and students. Some reasons to consider using interactive videos in higher education include transforming passive students into active participants in real time, better knowledge retention, higher conversion rates, the ability to measure comprehension through in-video questions, personalized learning experiences, and overall versatility. It's clear that these new learning methods are more interactive and require the support of multiple digital resources, as well as ICT tools and mobile applications.

Keywords:

Education, New Trends and Experiences, Flipped Learning, Game-based Learning and Gamification, ICT Skills Development, Educational Research, Learning and Teaching Innovations.