YouTube doesn’t have to be a place where viewers passively watch video. Free annotation tools allow content creators to provide interactive opportunities to engage content. The resulting video can be used as part of a flipped classroom model or to time-shift any kind of instruction.

This video tutorial shows you exactly how to create buttons that can be placed on your video to jump forwards and backwards within the timeline.

Demonstration #1: Interactive Flipped Instruction

Here is an example of an interactive lesson on fractions that use YouTube annotations to create a quick self-quiz. ((From a previous blog post: Interactive flipped instruction with YouTube annotations and time-markers)) This flipped instruction (flipped classroom) example redirects the viewer directly into the pertinent portion of the lecture that addresses any incorrect answers:

Demonstration #2: Chapter Markers in YouTube

Here is an example of a video that covers several different topics and includes an introductory table of contents that can be accessed at any time. ((From a previous blog post: Screencasting and flipped instruction: beyond math ))

Demonstration #3: Allow viewers to create their own content

Final example is fun but also a powerful example of the freedom that interactivity allows. Use the buttons to play the piano and create your own song – one that the original video creator could never have imagined.