Edpuzzle Workshop for Teachers: An Overview

Instructional Problem

The education world has been rocked by the COVID-19 pandemic. Schools
across the country are seeing increased absenteeism not only due to
quarantines and illness but also fear of getting sick, unstable family
situations, and mental health concerns. According to an analysis by McKinsey
& Company, reports of chronic absenteeism, defined as missing 15 school
days per year, have more than doubled since before the pandemic began. The
report also specified, “While absenteeism rates for high-income students are
leveling off, rates for low-income students have continued to worsen since the
spring”1. This is concerning when one considers the disparities that already
existed between these groups before 2020.

Along with increased absences comes a wider range of student needs within
the classroom. Students have had varying success with distance learning,
hybrid learning, and in-person learning over the past few years as well. When
learning builds on previous learning and students are gone or not engaging,
learning gaps are sure to occur. “In a typical classroom of 30 students, three
additional students will be two or more grades behind this year,” the McKinsey
report states. This number is added to the number of students who were
already behind grade level before the pandemic.

Instructional Solution and Delivery Method

Essentially, teachers are facing an unprecedented challenge in serving the

needs of their students in the classroom. One way to tackle the issues of
students missing class and being at different levels of understanding is to

1
Source: COVID-19 and the widening learning gap | McKinsey. (n.d.). Retrieved May 16, 2022, from
https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/education/our-insights/covid-19-and-education-an-emerging-k-
shaped-recovery
make classroom learning more self-paced and to have direct instruction be
available asynchronously outside of the classroom. Enter Edpuzzle. Edpuzzle
is a free platform for designing interactive videos that allow students to learn
anywhere at any time. These videos can be teacher-recorded or can be
created from existing videos online. With lessons taking an interactive video
form, teachers can use instructional time to meet with small groups of
students or individual students to support their learning on a more
personalized level.

Training educators in how to effectively use Edpuzzle in the classroom will

allow for the following:
 Increased teacher confidence in using a new tech tool for learning

 Increased teacher success in differentiating instruction

 Freed up instructional time to work with students in small groups and

individually as needed
 More accessible learning for students who are absent

 Lessons that students can rewatch as many times as needed and can
complete at their own pace
 Narrowed achievement/opportunity gap among students

 Increased learning capacity for all students

This training will be an elective 90-minute "Getting Started" workshop at the

beginning of school year during staff work days leading up to when students
arrive. Teachers are required to attend a training from a list of elective
trainings in the days leading up to the start of the new school year. This
course qualifies as meeting that requirement of their time. it will be advertised
as a learning session about what Edpuzzle is and about how to use the
platform to help meet students’ learning needs this school year. 

The workshop will be delivered in a blended learning environment including

online lessons through the Edpuzzle platform itself and in-person instructor-
led demonstrations, discussion, and collaboration. Using the platform as
learners will help teachers see both sides of tool and understand what their
students will experience. Having in-person demonstrations and discussion
allows for clarification about any points of confusion and gives learners the
chance to gain perspective from their peers. Working as department teams
could be especially beneficial in sharing ideas and sharing the workload of
creating lessons that might serve multiple classrooms.

Learners

Primary Audience
 Classroom teachers

 Co-teaching specialists (Special education, ESL, Interventionists)

Secondary Audience
 Administrators

General Learner Characteristics

 Teachers and administrators include learners between the ages of 22
and 65 with varying levels of experience and confidence in using
technology in the classroom.
 All learners are certified educators with a minimum of a bachelor’s
degree in education and have experience in leading lessons and working
with students at their designated grade levels, whether during college or
during past work experience. Learners span the spectrum of experience
in education from first-year teachers to 20+ year veterans. Some have
had experience working in various other districts, states, and countries
while others have only worked for Sun Prairie their whole careers.
 Ethnicity and race of learners is diverse with people identifying as white,
Latino, Black, Native American, Asian, Pacific Islander, and African. All
have at least basic proficiency in the English language.

Entry Characteristics
 Most have experience with setting up classes in Google Classroom or
SeeSaw (required LMS during distance learning in 2020-2021) and
facilitating and participating in classes or meetings in Zoom.  
 As educators, all have access to creating teacher accounts in Edpuzzle.
 An estimated 25% are familiar with Edpuzzle, and a few (5%) have
already created accounts and have made video lessons in the past.
 Because this is an elective training, learners have chosen to take this
course and are coming in with interest and motivation to take
something useful away from the learning. Confidence and attitude of
learners vary depending on past experience and comfort with
technology. Some have concerns about the time this new venture
(creating the video lessons, not taking the course) may take in their day-
to-day work lives. They already feel the weight of their current
responsibilities and the brevity of their planning time.
 Many learners are coming into this school year and this course after
having endured a few intense years of pandemic teacher and having to
learn new technology on the fly and on demand and having to “pivot”
their instructional strategies and structures multiple times a semester.
New technology and new instructional strategies may not be their
favorite topics right now.