Free video library for early learning centres

Quality screen content has the power to educate while it entertains, and in the early childhood education (ECE) setting, video learning resources open up a world of information and opportunity for our youngest generation of digital natives.

With an educator on hand to select content, set screen time limits, and guide lessons, video learning resources help to spark the imagination, encourage investigation, and build individual and interpersonal skills.

In recognition of this, the Education Television and Video Communications Trust (ETV) is providing all early learning services in New Zealand with free access to its online video Library.

To see what this means for little learners, we spoke with ETV’s General Manager, Martin Drew.

What is ETV? 

The Education Television and Video Communications Trust is a not-for-profit charitable trust that captures and distributes audio visual content to early learning services, schools, universities and other education providers. 

Content is recorded from free-to-air NZ TV channels, some overseas channels, and legitimate internet sources under the terms of our Screenrights Licence and section 48 of the Copyright Act. ETV is an Authorised Education Provider, approved by the New Zealand Minister of Education.

The ETV online video platform is the largest in New Zealand, with over 150,000 videos, searchable by educators to use in the classroom. We provide TV programmes, YouTube videos and other content covering all age groups and curriculum areas, available online for anywhere, anytime learning. 

Teachers can also use our Enhanced Video Annotation tool (EVA), to turn any video into an enriched, interactive experience, with 17 different types of annotation and interactive tools that pop up while the learner watches the video.

Simple text boxes, labels, drag-and-drop, single choice questions, multiple choice questions and true/false questions can all pop up to expand the educational value of the video.  

What are the benefits of digital content in the early learning environment?

Although under fives should adhere to the recommended daily dose of screen time for their age, educational digital content can be very valuable in the early learning environment. 

As long as the content is implemented in a thoughtful way, audio and visual learning resources utilise sound, sight, colour and movement to inspire deeper learning, better retention and reinforced motivation.

With a quality ECE educator guiding digital learning experiences, TV programmes and online videos can help young children to:

• Learn early literacy and numeracy skills,
• Gain understandings of the world and their place in it,
• Build technology-related skills (which will help them as school-aged children and adults), and
• Encourage them to enjoy learning in a fun, engaging and colourful way.

All early learning services can now access ETV’s free online Library. How did this arrangement come about, and what kinds of content are available for educators and under fives?

As a not-for-profit charitable trust, ETV is providing all the Library content as part of our philanthropic contribution to education.

Our offering doesn’t include access to the subscription catalogue, but a quick search of content across our entire platform brings up 741 results specifically for the Early Childhood age range.

As well as searching for content by Title, Date or Age Level, educators can also search for resources focused on different:

• Subjects, e.g. Literacy, Physical Education and Science,
• Categories, e.g. Animation, Audio and Children, and
• Sources, e.g. CBeebies and Nick Jr.

This means that preschoolers might learn how to move and challenge themselves physically with a Fitness Kids song; discover how to make rain with a ‘lava lamp’ science experiment; or see how to cook up uncooked play dough!

There is a huge variety of content on offer and we’re pleased to be able to support young children’s learning by providing free access to these quality online resources. 

Older children also benefit from digital content in the educational setting. How do school students access ETV resources?

Students from subscribing schools can self-register and access ETV using their school email. R16/R18 content is automatically blocked, and there’s a wide array of content that matches the school curriculum.

Subjects like English, Mathematics, Social Studies, Art and Languages are all covered, and there’s a particular focus on New Zealand-based content, both at the primary and secondary level.

Thank you for explaining this, Martin, and it’s wonderful that under fives can freely access educational content in the early learning setting.