I posted this update on Coursera, but I decided to post it here as well:

I chose this topic, because, I think, video learning is a revolutionary concept which has changed teaching and learning as we know it, not to mention that it enhances and boosts the learning experience and environment as a whole. Video learning is generally used in e-learning environmets and/or blended learning environments such as flipped classrooms for instance, or other models of blended learning environments. The concept is simple; videos are utilized to deliver instructon and content.

Image: http://image.slidesharecdn.com/stateofelearning2014-k12-edu-tech-final-4by3-final2-140604171943-phpapp02/95/trends-in-elearning-2014-video-flipped-classrooms-mobile-learning-location-based-learning-australia-zoo-and-more-2-638.jpg?cb=1401902409

"Amazingly, video has been part of education since the 1960s. Over the years, its popularity has risen and fallen, as new waves of technology have repeatedly reignited its potential. Yet throughout there’s been a continuous trend towards lower production costs, easier technical requirements and increasing access. These factors have generally made video more and more attractive as a teaching and learning method." (http://www.itworx.education/role-of-video-in-teaching-and-learning/). Moreover,"the advances of technology-supported open access to education indicate an increased use of video technology; video technology has tremendous potential when pedagogically appropriate and designed purposely to facilitate teaching and learning. (http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40561-016-0034-2)

MOOCs (such as our own course concerning E-Learning Ecologies) are video-based; they provide material in such a way that students can easily understand it, videos are downloadable, "thought provoking and well focused in order to capture learners’ attention and keep them engaged." (https://elearningindustry.com/10-tips-to-effectively-use-videos-in-elearning)

There are a lot of pedagogical benefits in using video learning: they provide learning opportunities, they can assist mastery based learning, they keep students involved and engaged in the learning process, they are student-centered and they facilitate problem solving and thinking.(http://www.uq.edu.au/teach/video-teach-learn/ped-benefits.html)

Additionally, as Dr William Cope mentioned in the video "Multimodal Meaning, Part 3A:What's new about Digital Technologies?" (https://d3c33hcgiwev3.cloudfront.net/aiQZr2G6EeWTXA5xtTqziw.processed/full/540p/index.mp4?Expires=14...), videos can be included in learner-generated knowledge representations as part of a phenomenon called "multimodality". Videos are effective and efficient tools for knowledge representation and this is something that one cannot easily deny, at least as far as I'm concerned.They are multimedia tools which help enhance the learning experience, they help learners grasp more easily concepts or ideas, and -why not- they can help students to have better learing outcomes.(http://imagenevp.com/teaching-and-technology-improve-learning-using-video/)

Nowadays, a number of plattfoms such as Coursera, Khan Acdemy, Udacity, EdX offer online learning possibilities for students through videos. Another very famous and important plattform where one can access videos concrening different fields, subjects and interests is of course You Tube.

To sum up, video learning is an excellent way to access knowledge and to help students work in a contemporary way which reinforces knowledge and learning outcomes.