2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Traditional online instruction often forces a trade-off between flexibility and engagement. Asynchronous video lectures support self-paced learning but lack opportunities for spontaneous questioning and instructor feedback, while synchronous sessions enable interaction but do not cater to students at different levels or learning speeds. This paper introduces an interactive video architecture that merges the benefits of modes, enabling students to learn at their own pace while receiving additional information precisely when confusion occurs, at the teachable moment.

In this framework, students engage with a self-paced prerecorded lecture that features a repository of previously asked questions that appear at relevant points in the video and an interactive module for real-time or delayed instructor responses. Prominent playback controls—pause, rewind, skip, and speed up—ensures each student can progress at their own comfortable pace. At any moment, they may submit a question tied to the current timestamp using either a Live Response box (for immediate help during designated times) or a Delayed Response box (for asynchronous follow-up without disrupting the learning flow). Once answered by the instructor or TA, the responses are anchored to that point in the video, forming a time-stamped knowledge base that current and future students can explore, or skip, based on their needs. Clicking a question reveals the corresponding video response, transforming static lectures into evolving, learner-informed instructional tools.

Unlike discussion forums or comment threads, this real-time and evolving knowledge base embeds instructor video responses directly within the instructional timeline, preserving pedagogical context and continuity while maintaining student flexibility. The architecture also protects student privacy and gives instructors full moderation control. It supports large-scale use, with successful testing in a class of 82 students and scalability expected for larger classes.

Instructors benefit from detailed interaction analytics that visualize where confusion arises based on video replays and which response videos are watched. These insights allow instructors to refine content, address common misunderstandings efficiently, and personalize support. The platform reinforces scaffolding and zone of proximal development principles by delivering support in the moment it’s most useful, when students are actively engaged with challenging content.

The approach has been piloted in three undergraduate engineering courses at two universities. Preliminary results demonstrate high engagement and strong student satisfaction, with usage analytics showing frequent revisits to response videos and elevated interaction rates compared to traditional online platforms. Student feedback highlighted “getting explanations exactly when I needed them” as one of the most valued features. Instructors reported reduced redundancy in addressing common questions, improved insight into learning bottlenecks, and being able to spend time with students that need additional help.

By combining asynchronous flexibility with synchronous responsiveness, this method reframes asynchronous video instruction as a participatory, adaptive conversation between student(s) and instructor. It delivers pedagogically timed feedback, supports student autonomy, and provides instructors with actionable insights while maintaining scalability for large classes.