#edtech #esl YouTube annotations provide a discussion space layered onto each video.
In my previous post, Interactive Videos, I shared some examples of YouTube videos that incorporate some new interactive features of the site that overlay buttons and links that can take you to a different segment of the video or to a different video or website entirely.
These kinds of pop-up messages have been crowding onto YouTube videos since this feature became available. If used gratuitously, they are annoying, but when used to add supplemental information, they can be quite useful. As one example, take a look at the video tutorial for making the above image. It’s a straightforward and informative two-minute video. At about the 1:30 mark, some red text appears that seems to be essential information that was omitted in the original shooting of the video. Adding a quick note is a simple solution that does not require reshooting the video.
But there must be more we can do with these tools. I’d been thinking about some different ways to incorporate these techniques when I came across a presentation made by Craig Howard at the Indiana University Foreign / Second Language Share Fair. The page includes a recording of the presentation, a handout that summarizes how to annotate YouTube videos, and a link to an example video, which I’ve included below.
The nice thing about this approach is that a video, in this case a video for teachers-in-training to discuss, can include the online conversation layered right over top of the video. Comments by different speakers can be made in different colors and the length of time they are displayed can easily be adjusted as appropriate. Of course, everyone involved needs to have free Google or Gmail accounts to sign in, and the video must be configured to allow annotations by people other than the person who uploaded it.
The ability to integrate video materials and online discussion so seamlessly opens up some interesting potential for interacting with videos in new and interesting ways. I’ve recently looked at some options for online bulletin boards / sticky notes, including Google Docs, but incorporating this style of discussion directly onto the video is fantastic.
I’m still kicking around different options for making YouTube videos more interactive. If you have other examples or ideas, please share them in the comments below.
ESL Technology.com 