EDpuzzle for flipped learning

A few months ago, I shared my initial experiences of flipping my classroom using my own videos and YouTube. That post can be found here. Since then, I have continued to flip learning (in various ways) in order to utilise precious classroom time and to make home learning more purposeful. Thanks to Dickie (our ICT Coordinator), I have recently been introduced to a brilliant (and free) tool for flipping: EDpuzzle.

EDpuzzle is a website and app that allows teachers to customise videos from various sources (including YouTube) and to enhance the ways in which their students interact and engage with them. The screenshot below shows the four main features of the editing screen:

1. Crop: allows you to edit the length of video by cropping from either end.
2. Audio Track: allows you to record a voiceover to be played alongside the video.
3. Audio Notes: allows you stop the video at various points and play your own recorded messages.
4. Quizzes: allows you to stop the video at chosen points and share comments, multiple choice questions and open questions. Note: for multiple choice questions, the correct answer can be selected. This will automatically mark your students’ responses.

I believe that these features, when used well, are ideal tools for learning through video. They ensure that students are actively watching and listening.

Below is a link to one of my examples. I was preparing to teach my students about factors and how to find them. The ability to identify factors is important, but this is exactly the type of procedural maths that does not require classroom time. Instead, I assigned this video as homework so that students could then use classroom time to apply the procedure more conceptually.

The video was not created by me. I was able to take it from YouTube. However, the green question marks indicate the points in the video where I have added questions and comments. I was able to use these to check my students’ understanding, stretch their thinking or to elaborate on what had been said. After assigning this as homework, I could view the students’ responses and use the formative assessment data to group students. Perfect for flipped learning!

https://edpuzzle.com/media/580c630ccfb986e76f612682

Once the edits have been finalised, the video assignments can be shared with students. Educators can make their own EDpuzzle classes and invite their students. They can also import classes directly from Google Classroom. EDpuzzle assignments can also be posted to Google Classroom. I love it when my favourite tools integrate so well!

EDpuzzle does not have to be used to flip. It could also be used as a tool for independent class work. This is how I plan to use it next. EDpuzzle has been added to my toolkit of resources that support independent work. I value these tools so that I can work more closely with small groups.

Teachers are encouraged to input their school on EDpuzzle. By doing this, they get access to their colleagues’ assignments by clicking ‘My School’ in the menu. Assignments are therefore very easy to share. This is particularly useful for teachers of the same grade level, who will likely be working on the same topics. No need to reinvent the wheel. However, if you do want to make changes to an assignment, EDpuzzle allows you to make a copy for yourself so that your edits don’t affect the original.

I’m still fairly new to EDpuzzle, so if anyone has more to add, please comment below. Also add any other ideas for ways that it could be used. If you start using it as a result of this post, please let me know. I hope that you find it as useful as I do. To make your own, follow this link to EDpuzzle. New users will be given a handy tutorial.