Tool Viddix
Type Web Application
Requirements Internet-connected computer, browser
Cost Free!
First Thoughts
Educators often have a need to present information; yet most presentations don’t seem to be all that engaging. Even beautiful presentations from dynamic speakers like Steve Jobs leave a little something to be desired when simply viewed. So, when I first stumbled across Viddix, I was immediately interested in it’s ability to create some dynamic, interactive presentations – just the sort of thing you might want if you are interested in gaining and maintaining the interest of your learners.
The basic setup of Viddix is a two-screen layout. The left screen holds your video, while the right screen can hold polls, text, images, links, and even dynamic content like RSS feeds and even other embedded videos. The right screen content is tied to the timeline of the video on the left so that it becomes visible at designated times during the video. The content on the right can be interactive – links can be clicked on, polls can be answered, etc. Plus, there’s also a comments feature so people viewing the presentation can ‘talk back’ and future viewers can read those comments and post their own. All in all, my first thought was “slick!”
Of course, even while thinking about the cool-factor of this tool, I was initially also concerned that it might be too difficult to learn or that it might take too long to put together a decent presentation. Additionally, it seemed like two screens might increase the potential to create a presentation that was more distracting than engaging. However, after putting together my first presentation, my fears about the difficulty of the tool were put to rest. The distracting v. engaging concern is another story – but, that challenge is more about an individual’s presentation skills rather than something inherently problematic with the tool. LOL.
First Experience
Here’s my first presentation with Viddix.
The movie on the left actually took more time to put together than putting the entire finished Viddix presentation together. The interface was easy to navigate after only a few minutes and it was remarkably easy to add all that content that shows up in the right screen. My only complaint (and it’s a small one!) is that I would like to be able to set the start and end times of each of the content pieces that show up on the right. Currently, you can only set the start time and then that content piece stays up on the screen until the next content piece pops up. You could work around this, however, by simply putting up a blank screen so it’s a minor thing. For a lengthier description of the process, I’ve posted how I did this presentation on my wiki.
Aside from an overall positive first experience with this tool, I feel I must mention the wonderful support I have received from the Viddix team. Very soon after completing my presentation, I received an email from them. The email gave me warm feedback on my presentation and let me know the team was there to help if I needed it. They even reminded me to publish my presentation (for which I will be forever grateful because it saved me from embarrassing myself during a conference workshop). I have tested countless new web apps and this is the very first time I received an email like this. So, because of the tool and especially because of the Viddix team, I highly recommend you try out this unique application.
