Faculty of Physics and Technology Explores the Use of JoVE and Moodle in Teaching

On 25 September 2026, the Faculty of Physics and Technology at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University held a training seminar titled “Using JoVE in Education: Practical Insights from Faculty Members.” Held in a hybrid format, the seminar focused on using educational videos and online quizzes in lectures, seminars and laboratory classes.

The seminar was supported by Acting Vice Dean for Academic and Methodological Affairs Lazzat Yerimbetova. Practical examples were presented by Alfiya Nurmukhanova, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Thermophysics and Technical Physics; Arshynbek Kisan, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Plasma Physics, Nanotechnology and Computer Physics; and Svetlana Peshaya, Vice Dean for Research, Innovation and International Relations.

KazNU has worked with JoVE since 2023 and gained full institutional access to the platform in 2025. JoVE provides video resources for teaching and research. Its videos allow students to familiarise themselves with experimental methods and procedures before working with laboratory equipment. They also help instructors explain complex techniques that can be difficult to demonstrate clearly to an entire class.

During the seminar, participants discussed how to select videos that align with course topics and intended learning outcomes. They explored ways to use videos both before laboratory sessions and when reviewing experimental work afterwards. Faculty members demonstrated how to develop questions based on video content and assess students’ understanding.

The ability to replay demonstrations of measurements and laboratory procedures is particularly useful in physics and engineering courses. Students can prepare at their own pace, revisit individual steps and bring more specific questions to class.

A separate session focused on assessment tools. Participants were shown the “My Quizzes” section in JoVE, including saved quizzes, questions, deadlines and answer display settings. The presenters then demonstrated a quiz hosted in Moodle. The discussion covered how to organise assignments in a digital learning environment familiar to students and use quiz results to provide feedback.

JoVE offers several ways to add videos to online courses. Individual videos can be embedded in a learning management system, while collections can be added using the platform’s tools. The available options depend on the university’s system settings. The seminar concentrated on practical ways to use videos and quizzes in teaching.

Participants considered a teaching sequence in which students watch a video and complete a quiz before discussing their answers with the instructor. This approach can reveal points that need further explanation ahead of class, leaving more time for hands-on experiments and analysis of results.

The group also discussed when to share videos with students, how to align quiz questions with lesson objectives and how to review responses. Faculty members emphasised the importance of adapting digital tools to each course and to students’ levels of preparation.

The seminar provided an opportunity for departments across the faculty to share teaching practices. The use of visual learning resources and the development of instructors’ digital skills support United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education.