Reflective Experiential Learning: Using Active Video Watching for Soft Skills Training

Learning by watching videos has become the dominant way of learning for millennials. However, watching videos is a passive form of learning which usually results in a low level of engagement. As the result, video-based learning often results in poor learning outcomes. One of the proven strategies to increase engagement is to integrate interactive activities such as quizzes and assessment problems into videos. Although this strategy increases engagement, it requires changing existing videos and therefore substantial effort from the teacher. We have developed the Active Video Watching (AVW) system that enables the teacher to use existing videos from YouTube without modifications. The teacher is required to define a set of aspects for videos, which serve as reflective scaffolds in order to increase engagement and focus learners’ thinking. AVW provides a Personal Space for individual learners to link their personal experiences while watching videos. The comments collected can be used by the individuals to reflect on their own thoughts or to be shared with other learners in the Social Space. We conducted a study with postgraduate students on presentation skills. The results show that the level of engagement with AVW was high, and that the aspects were effective as reflection prompts. We plan to conduct further studies related to other types of soft skills, and also to further extend AVW to provide individualized feedback to students.