Quick Answer
Tutors create video explanations from homework questions in two ways:
AI platforms (under 20 minutes): Upload a photo of the problem. The platform generates a narrated, animated walkthrough automatically. Think10x.ai is one example.
Manual recording (30 to 60+ minutes): Screen record while solving the problem, add voiceover, edit out mistakes, export and share.
AI tools handle animation, narration, and captions automatically. Manual methods require video editing skills and significant time per problem.
The Problem
A student sends a photo of a physics problem. Your next session is Saturday.
You have three options:
- Type out a solution (but force diagrams don’t work in text)
- Call them (but you have other students tonight),
- Send a video walkthrough they can watch, pause, and replay.
Until recently, that third option meant 45 minutes of recording, editing, and exporting for a single problem. AI platforms compress that to a few minutes. The rest of this article explains how both approaches work and when each makes sense.
How AI Platforms Convert Questions to Videos?
Think10X uses a four-step process:
- Upload: Photograph the homework problem or upload an existing image. PNG and JPG formats work. Handwritten problems, textbook pages, and worksheet scans all process correctly.
- AI builds a teaching sequence: The platform identifies what concepts the student needs to understand first, then structures the explanation in logical order. For a quadratic equation, that might mean showing the factoring pattern before applying it, then verifying the solution.
- Animation and narration: Each step is animated with synchronized voice narration. Captions and transcripts are generated automatically.
- Interactive viewing: Students watch the video and can pause at any point to ask clarifying questions through a chat feature. If step three confuses them, they get help immediately instead of waiting until Saturday.
Tutors who want a personal touch can record their own narration instead of using the generated voice.
How Manual Video Creation Works?
The traditional approach uses screen recording software (Loom, Screencastify, OBS) combined with a digital whiteboard or tablet:
- Set up recording: Open your screen recorder and drawing application. Test audio levels.
- Solve the problem on camera: Work through the solution while explaining your reasoning aloud. Mistakes mean either editing later or starting over.
- Edit the recording: Trim the beginning and end. Cut out pauses, mistakes, and tangents. Add transitions if needed.
- Export and share: Render the final video. Upload to YouTube, Google Drive, or send directly. Add captions manually if accessibility matters.
Time estimate
A polished 3-minute explanation typically requires 30 to 60 minutes of total work, depending on editing complexity and how many takes you need. Simpler recordings with minimal editing can be faster; complex problems with multiple visual elements take longer.
AI vs. Manual: When to Use Each?
| Factor | AI Platform | Manual Recording |
|---|---|---|
|
Time per video |
Under 20 minutes |
30 to 60+ minutes |
|
Editing required |
None |
Yes |
|
Your voice |
Optional |
Yes |
|
Customization |
Limited to platform capabilities |
Complete control |
|
Cost |
Platform subscription |
Free (with existing tools) |
|
Best for |
High volume, standard problem types |
Custom explanations, unique teaching style |
Use AI when: You need to respond quickly, the problem type is common, or you want to build a library without massive time investment.
Use manual when: The problem requires your specific teaching approach, you want to reference student-specific context, or the AI output doesn’t match how you’d explain it.
What Types of Problems Work Best?
Video explanations are most effective for problems involving:
- Visual reasoning: Geometry proofs, physics diagrams, graphing, molecular structures
- Sequential procedures: Solving equations, balancing reactions, integration techniques, stoichiometry calculations
- Common question types: Problems you explain repeatedly each semester
Video is less effective for:
- Conceptual discussions: Building intuition, explaining why something matters
- Diagnostic work: Figuring out where a student’s understanding breaks down
- Socratic questioning: Guiding students to discover answers through dialogue
The goal is not to replace live tutoring. The goal is offloading repetitive explanations so your live time focuses on work that requires human communication.
Subject Examples
Based on educator testing, Think10X handles these problem types:
- Algebra: Systems of equations, factoring polynomials, graphing inequalities
- Calculus: Chain rule applications, optimization, related rates
- Physics: Projectile motion, free body diagrams, circuit analysis
- Chemistry: Mole conversions, equation balancing, limiting reagents
- Geometry: Triangle congruence proofs, coordinate geometry, area calculations
- Biology: Punnett squares, inheritance probability
Do Videos Actually Help Students Learn?
Research supports video for certain types of instruction:
Short videos hold attention
 A 2014 study analyzing 6.9 million video sessions found students watched nearly 100% of videos under six minutes, with engagement dropping sharply beyond that threshold (Guo et al., 2014). More recent research confirms this pattern: a 2020 study found short videos improved engagement by 24.7% and final exam scores by 9% compared to longer formats (Li et al., 2022).
Technology can extend tutor effectiveness
Research from the University of Chicago Education Lab found that blending tutor time with technology reduced program costs by one-third while maintaining learning gains (UChicago Education Lab, 2024).
Important caveat
Most tutoring research studies institutional programs with specific implementation parameters. Individual tutors may see different results depending on how they integrate video into their practice.
A Concrete Workflow Example
Here’s how one approach might work for an independent calculus tutor with 12 students:
Setup (once): Create a shared Google Drive folder for each student. Bookmark Think10X for quick access.
When a student texts a problem photo, do this:
- Upload to Think10X (1 minute)
- Review the generated video for accuracy (2 minutes)
- If acceptable, copy the link to the student’s folder and text them (1 minute)
- If the explanation needs adjustment, record a quick supplemental note or schedule discussion for next session
Building a library over time
Track which problems come up repeatedly. After generating videos for common question types (factoring trinomials, related rates problems, stoichiometry conversions), save them in a shared “Common Questions” folder. When the same question appears next semester, send the existing link.
During sessions
Reference saved videos for review. “Remember the chain rule video I sent? Let’s apply that pattern to this problem.” Session time shifts from re-explaining basics to working through applications.
Honest Limitations
- Video cannot replace diagnostic work. Watching a student solve a problem reveals where their understanding breaks down. A video cannot do that.
- Quality varies by problem type. Procedural math produces better AI results than open-ended word problems requiring interpretation.
- Students must actually watch. A video only helps if the student engages with it. Some will skim or skip entirely.
- Integration takes experimentation. The first few weeks of using any new tool feels like additional work before efficiency gains appear. Expect a learning curve.
- AI explanations may not match your style. Review generated videos before sending. If the explanation approach differs significantly from yours, students may get confused by inconsistency.
Other Think10X Features
Beyond video generation:
- PDF Question Importer: Extract individual problems from worksheets or textbook PDFs for faster processing.
- AI Question Generator: Create practice problems aligned to specific topics when students need additional work.
- Quiz Creator: Generate assessments with answer keys for progress checks.
Frequently Asked Questions
AI platforms automate the most time-consuming parts of video creation: animation, narration, captions, and formatting. Manual recording typically requires 30-60+ minutes per problem when you factor in setup, recording, editing out mistakes, and exporting. For a simple 3-minute explanation, the manual approach involves significant time investment in post-production work that AI platforms handle automatically.
No. AI platforms handle animation, narration, captions, and formatting automatically. You simply upload a photo of the problem, review the generated explanation for accuracy, and share the link. If you want to add your own voice instead of the AI narration, that option is available, but editing expertise isn’t required.
Video works best for visual and procedural problems: geometry proofs, physics diagrams, solving equations, graphing, balancing chemical equations, and step-by-step calculations. It’s less effective for conceptual discussions, diagnostic work, or Socratic questioning where you need back-and-forth dialogue to understand where a student’s thinking breaks down.
No, and that’s not the goal. Video handles repetitive explanations so your live session time can focus on diagnostic work, adapting to individual learning styles, and building relationships. Research shows that blending tutor time with technology can maintain learning gains while reducing costs, but the human element remains essential for personalized instruction.
It depends on execution. Research shows students watch nearly 100% of videos under 6 minutes, with engagement dropping sharply after that. The key is keeping explanations short and focused. Platforms like Think10X include interactive chat features so students can ask clarifying questions while watching, which helps maintain engagement. However, some students will skim or skip regardless. Video is a tool, not a guarantee.
Always review the generated video before sending it to students. Check whether the explanation sequence, terminology, and approach align with how you teach. If the AI’s method differs significantly from yours, it may confuse students who are used to your style. You can either record your own narration over the animation, add a supplemental note, or use manual recording for that particular problem type.
Getting Started
Test with a problem you explain frequently. If the generated walkthrough matches how you would teach it, you have a candidate for scaling.
👉 Visit think10x.ai to try the platform.
The Bottom Line
That physics problem from 8 PM? With an AI platform, it’s solved under 20 minutes, link sent before 8:25. The student watches it before bed, texts a follow-up question, and you clarify in the morning. Saturday’s session focuses on the next challenge instead of reviewing what they already figured out.
The tutors who benefit most from these tools recognize which parts of their work are repetitive and which require human judgment. Explaining the chain rule for the fifteenth time is necessary, but it’s not where your expertise matters most. Noticing that a student’s sign errors stem from a misunderstanding about negative number operations, then adjusting your approach accordingly: that requires you.
Video handles the repetition. You handle the diagnosis, the adaptation, and the relationship.