Explore Deeper Levels of Learning in eSpark
There’s nothing particularly new or mysterious about Bloom’s Taxonomy or Webb’s Depth of Knowledge. At this point, all teachers understand the importance of encouraging students to think critically and apply knowledge in increasingly complex and abstract ways. Why, then, do most online learning resources still stop at knowledge, recall, and application? Surely we have an opportunity to leverage all the advanced technology at our disposal for more than just text-based lessons and rote multiple-choice response?
That’s the idea behind eSpark’s Student Video Recordings, with which students are asked to not only revisit what they learned in their most recent Quest, but to apply, synthesize, and reconstruct that knowledge for future application.
Watch the video
How does it work?
When students demonstrate mastery on a Quest, they unlock their Student Video Recording as a final step to tie a bow on the concept they’ve just learned. Without leaving the eSpark website, students record a short video in their browser (Chrome and Safari are currently supported), then submit it for feedback.
Teachers can support students in this endeavor with relevant printables from the eSpark website, including video script templates like the one pictured below (this version is recommended for grades 3+). This adds another element to the learning process, giving students valuable interdisciplinary writing practice as they prepare for their videos.
Finally, teachers can view, rate, and leave feedback on videos from the Activity tab or the Student Work tab in their Dashboard. This final feedback mechanism closes the loop on a standard and gives students something to build on for next time.
Why does it matter?
Student Video Recordings give kids a chance to reteach what they’ve learned, in keeping with the research-supported idea that student explanation of learning aids retention, a key component of eSpark’s evidence-based Theory of Learning. It’s one step further than most online programs empower students to take, and it’s just one more example of how eSpark’s instructional model is aligned with the science of how we learn.
For more information on how eSpark can help your students reach deeper levels of learning, contact us here.