Most instructors know what happens when students begin a class with no foundational knowledge: class time is spent reviewing the basics, and engagement drops.
A structured and repeatable solution to this challenge made Dr Yau Hsiung Wong, Senior Chemistry Lecturer at Taylor's University in Malaysia, stand out among the finalists for the 2025 JoVE Educator Innovation Award. In the last decade, his work has also earned him five gold and four silver medals at IIDEL and IUCEL, two international competitions in e-learning innovation.
A Model for Success
Across multiple chemistry cohorts, students have consistently rated Dr Wong’s courses 4.3 / 5 or higher for conceptual understanding, motivation, engagement, and autonomy.
His approach integrates short JoVE videos and quizzes into a 5E framework (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate) that supports pre-class preparation, in-class engagement, and easy progress tracking.
Providing visual clarity and a stronger connection between theory and practical work, Dr Wong’s students report that the videos help them “see the chemistry happening.”
A Visual 5E Framework for Your Course
Let’s break down Dr Wong’s approach into an actionable workflow you can adopt in your own STEM course.
1. Engage
- ▪️ Start with a short video that captures attention.
Use a visual example to introduce a complex topic students often struggle to comprehend. This “cognitive hook,” as Dr Wong describes it, gives students a clear starting point.
2. Explore
- ▪️ Assign videos and quizzes for pre-class preparation.
Assign students short LMS-integrated videos and quizzes they can work through at their own pace so they can pause, rewatch, and build basic understanding before class.
3. Explain
- ▪️ Build on the videos during class.
Once students arrive with some basic knowledge, class time can focus on clarifying difficult points, correcting misconceptions, and connecting what they watched with the underlying theory.
4. Elaborate
- ▪️ Deepen learning with practical application.
Assign a short technique video before hands-on work so students know what to expect and can spend more time in the session analyzing results and solving problems.
5. Evaluate
- ▪️ Track understanding and adjust support.
Use JoVE’s viewing data and quiz results to monitor preparation and engagement with the material, identify gaps early, and refine teaching or support where needed.
Key Takeaway
With Dr Wong’s structured teaching approach, students are ready for class, more confident in practical sessions, and better able to use class and lab time for deeper learning. By combining visual learning with pre-class preparation, learners come to class ready to think, ask, test, and improve.