Videos and Learning - It's The Questions, Not the Answers

There have been some recent articles about Khan Academy that have me thinking about videos and student learning. Karim Kai Ani, the founder of Mathalicious (@mathalicious) and the Math52 kickstarter program wrote a piece entitled "Khan Academy: The Hype and the Reality". Christopher Danielson and Michael Paul GHoldenberg wrote a similar piece entitled "How Well Does Khan Academy Teach?".  Both articles focused on the hype around Khan Academy, and how the quality, pedagogy, and accuracy of these videos has been overlooked. Instead, this resource has been elevated to kind of ridiculous heights because we are looking for, as Ani puts it, "the silver bullet" to solve our educational problems.  Both very well written pieces with excellent points, so I suggest you read them.

My question is why are we thinking that videos for learning, particularly in mathematics, have to be how-to type, or answers to questions such as "how do I solve a linear equation" (the Khan Academy type). Basically, the videos answer a 'how do I ...." or a "what is..." question.  Rather, we should focus on videos that lead to questions. It is through questions that students generate and seek to find answers and in turn, where they truly learn.  Not when they are given the answers to questions that they don't really care about.

Much easier to show what I mean, so I have a quick comparison between an "Answer" video versus a "Question" video.

"Answer Video" - A Prime Number is.... (Khan Academy video)



"Question Video" - What are prime numbers and so many more questions! (Vi Hart video)


Now - both videos talk about prime numbers (Vi Hart's obviously goes off into other things). But what I want to point out is that the first one is focused on answering the question by showing "these are prime numbers and here's how to find them." The second video (let's just focus on the prime number part) does talk about finding primes briefly, but really it creates a situation where prime numbers become fascinating, leading students to ask the question "what is a prime number and how the heck do I find them?" And leads to even more questions, like perhaps what does that largest prime number actually look like? Can I make prime spirals?

Questioning videos lead to more and more questions and desire to find out and explore - emergent learning if you will. Answering videos - not so much. Instead, it's "I got my answer, so I am now done." These type videos boil math down to a bunch of memorized steps, which is unfortunately what students have come to expect from math.

Teaching should be engaging and help students ask questions that lead to exploring, discovering, learning and yes, more questions. If you are going to utilize videos in your classroom or in a blended or flipped environment, use the power of the technology and find (or create) videos that create questions, not just provide answers.  It's through questioning that we learn.

Rapping to STEM - will.i.am Rocks!

I was catching up on my Graham Norton recordings on Sunday.  If you have never watched this BBC talk show, you are missing one of the most hilarious shows ever.  What they can do and say on BBC talk shows is vastly different from U.S. television, that's for sure! Anyway, one episode had will.i.am as a guest, and I will admit it - I wasn't too excited.  I mean, me and rap...not simpatico, so my thoughts were he wasn't going to have much to say of interest to me.

I was however completely wrong and pleasantly surprised.

will.i.am is first, an insanely interesting man. A very funny guy. Hilarious in fact. Gracious as well, and a great story teller (watch the show and hear his tale of horse back riding with Michael Jackson....he even tries to curb his use of the word 'like'....really, hilarious).  And, while I am sitting there watching and listening, he went and blew my mind even further by talking about STEM.  Yes...Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.  Honestly - last thing I expected! 

Turns out, will.i.am is an amazing supporter of education. Obviously, I have been out of the loop, so I have been doing some research on will.i.am's STEM support.  It's fascinating. He's fascinating. He's given $7 million to fund a STEM school in his native L.A., $500K to the Princes Trust in the UK to support students technology skills and he's teamed up with Dean Kamen, the founder of FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology to host a "i.am FIRST -- Science is Rock and Roll,” a groundbreaking, one-hour special promoting education, science and technology. He also partnered with Time Warner Cable to support the "Wouldn't It Be Cool If...." contest for students "to dream up the coolest invention idea to make their lives, communities and even the world more AWESOME".

A man who clearly is giving back to his community above and beyond. I feel guilty now about my initial reaction and want to apologize for that, and then I want to sign up to be part of his STEM team!  The things he is doing are so exciting.

So, will.i.am (@iamwill), if you need a former math teacher, current edtech enthusiast and believer in helping students expand their minds with technology and inquiry and innovation, and supporting teachers efforts to do the same, I am available!

Rather than me try to explain all the great things will.i.am is doing, I thought it would be easiest to just provide links for you to discover yourself.

1) Graham Norton Episode - seriously funny!
2) will.i.am/Black Eye Pea website
3) i.am.First TV. Special  7 pm, August 14, ABC
4) Wouldn't It Be Cool If....  Contest winner and other entries and information
5) i.am.First/DipDive Science and Rock and Roll website - great videos and information with other musical stars talking about the science of music.

Now...gotta go load some Black Eyed Peas music on my MP3 player!