Over the past few weeks, I have been working with my learning pod to create an interactive learning resource that teaches algebraic thinking by connecting real-world scenarios to algebra problems that use one operation. In the early stages of the project, I went searching for videos I could use in the resource but had a surprisingly difficult time finding ones that were at the appropriate level for our intended audience. In the end I decided to make my own videos and add interactions so I could organize the content in a way that clearly demonstrates the concepts of our lessons.

I should mention: I absolutely love math. I am about to start my third year of a math degree, and in my free time I regularly watch videos of math concepts I likely won’t fully understand until my fourth year, and maybe not even then. So when I searched “algebraic thinking”, “basic algebra”, etc. all the search results were flooded with videos that were at a level much higher than what we would be covering in the resource. It wasn’t until after I had made all the videos for our project that I had the idea to open a private browser window and try searching again, and this time I was able to find videos that covered what I was looking for. For this blog post, I will be breaking down how I could have used one such video in a lesson.

In Algebra Basics: Solving Basic Equations Part 1 by Math Antics, the speaker explains the importance of keeping equations balanced. This video clearly demonstrates the concept of equality using simple language, and the slower pace paired with engaging animations that visually reiterate what has been said make it an incredibly accessible resource for learners with diverse learning needs and language backgrounds. Although there is no direct interaction prompted in the video, the format makes it easy for a learner to take notes while watching or to complete an associated activity that an educator could prepare. 

One idea for an activity to incorporate into the video would be a list of simple questions that the learner reads before watching, then throughout the video they would discover the answers to them. A format such as multiple choice, fill in the blank, and true/false statements would work best; they are very quick to answer and wouldn’t interrupt the flow of the video. Given the format of this activity, an answer key would be sufficient for students to get feedback on their answers, which could be provided as a simple list of answers, or if the activity was being completed on a platform such as brightspace, using the quiz function would give them their results immediately after they submit. This activity would be easy to scale, and once the quiz/worksheet is set up would require little to no further work from the educator other than providing it to the learners. 

Another activity idea (that would be completed after watching the video) is having learners “build an equation”. In this activity, students are all given the same number to represent but using a different operation, which would demonstrate that there are many ways to represent a number while keeping an equation balanced. 

For example, given the number 15:

• Student A shows it as 5 + 10
• Student B shows it as 18 – 3
• Student C shows it as 3*5
• Student D shows it as 30/2

This activity would strengthen their arithmetic skills by having them choose which two numbers to be equal to the given number and operation, as well as demonstrate the concept of keeping an equation balanced.  This activity could also be built on to incorporate further concepts by introducing x to the student’s equations, such as: 
5 + 10 = 3*5   ⇒   x + 10 = 3x

However, this activity would require more work for the educator, as it involves direct engagement with learners, and the feedback is not easily quantifiable as it is in the first activity.

It is difficult to find the right balance of engagement vs simplicity when designing learning resources, but with the right tools, such as embedding H5P, linking quizzes or worksheets, or prompting students on discussion forums, learners can solidify their understanding of algebra and apply this knowledge to the real world.