Student Feedback to Follett Destiny Tutorial

Here's a random sampling of student feedback from the Follett Destiny Tutorial. This lesson was observed as part of my new teacher observation/goal setting process.

It was a long video (15 min), and I will certainly redo it into shorter sections for next year, not only because of the crashing problem, but because I feel it was too long to keep their attention.

They did watch it in sections via the menu, and paused to answer questions in between sections, but I still feel that's just too much content in one sitting.  I did the lesson with all 540 students, but next year I'll likely only do the 7th graders that are incoming to OMS.

Some comments are funny - this is middle school after all!

What is something you like about using video tutorials?

• it absolutely helps me because I know what I'm doing and it gets me where I want to go
• shows you exactly what to do
• shows me step by step what to do
• it really explained and helped me understand
• you can go at your own pace
• tells you what to do and how to do it
  
• you can pause and back up if you didn't get the info
• it's a lot faster and I don't have to read anything
• that you don't get bored listening to the teacher talking
• being able to stop it when you need to
• you can learn independently
  
• it gave a lot of info and I never got lost
• you can use it from home
• tells you exactly how to use it
• you can stop it if you want to go over something again
• taught me a lot of useful info
• tells you what to do in order
• it let me see it actually working so I know what to do
• easier to learn than by reading
• it's a lot easier to pay attention
• it was a different way of learning
• shows you instead of tells you
• I like how it goes into great detail and really helps me understand
• it made it easy to learn
• we can SEE what to do instead of being told
• you can pause it and the directions are clear
• I love how you can always go back so you don't miss anything
• it's better than having to ask the teacher a million times
• it's more useful than having to explain in words
• you get to have control yourself
• very easy to follow
• it's not one of those pointless lessons
  
• you don't have to sit in class and listen to the teacher
• it helped because I'm a visual person
• you can actually see someone do it
• easier to listen to and more fun than you talking
• more convenient than trying to guide everyone through it all at once
• a visual way to teach, it was very professional!
• explained things in a detailed way
• showed you exactly what you need to do, and no more
• you can pause if you need more time to write
• it's different than just watching someone demonstrate on the board
• it's a great way to learn
• teaches you more
• helps you visualize it
• I can do everything at my own speed
• better than teachers talking
• I love how you can go back, start it and stop it
  

What is something that you would suggest to improve these videos?

• better graphics
• don't play sleepy music
• make them shorter
• have students talk on the videos
  
• shorten them
  
• more enthusiasm
• go faster
• slow down a little
• put some personality in it
  
• I wouldn't change much, but the music is kind of annoying
• make them more interesting
• let you click on stuff while they are talking
• improve the sound, it was very scratchy
  
• more music, less talking
• nothing except it was a little boring but I loved it
• go slower so we don't have to keep stopping it
• better headphones
• nothing except the crashing problem
• on some things go a little slower
• have a "happy" voice
• it needs to be less boring
• talk louder
• different music :)
  
• make the headphones better
• don't zoom the screen so much
• speak clearer or get a better microphone
• don't have the music so loud, at times it's distracting
• make the music a little more "Cuban"
  
• Note: Mr. Schmitz sounds like an airline pilot when they talk to you over the intercom before and after the flight!
  

(There were lots of "I wouldn't change anything, it was great" type comments which I didn't include in the list - not sure if they were serious or just wanting to write something down quickly to "be done" as students will sometimes do)

I'm definitely incorporating some of their ideas and suggestions - making sure the sound is better, keeping the videos as short as possible, etc. All the positive comments were great to read, it feels good to know that all the work involved in making these is paying off.