Recommended practices when creating videos for teaching
As a different format from a more traditional lecture, creating videos for teaching offers an opportunity for us to rethink how we communicate course content to our learners. Certainly, most of us would likely have trouble sitting through a three-hour lecture delivered over video (and, well, sometimes in person).
Below are some general practices to keep in mind when you are planning out your videos. If you’d like to go into greater depth, Vanderbilt University has developed a succinct guide to the elements of an effective educational video.
Break video content into smaller chunks
Turning a three-hour lecture into a series of 10-15 minutes videos isn’t about omitting content but rather, being more concise in communicating it – which is easier to do when you’ve planned out and scripted your video. Determine logical breaks within your content, and book-end your videos with an introduction to and summary of what you’ve discussed to help reinforce student learning.
Focus on one or two learning objectives per video
One of the ways to break up your video content into smaller chunks is to focus on only one or two learning objectives at a time, and to ensure that what you cover in the video is related to those learning objectives. Keeping your learning objectives at the heart of your video will be helpful.
Make it participatory
If you incorporate activities for students in your classroom teaching to keep them engaged, translating that experience to a video lecture environment is an appreciable challenge. However, it is still possible to bring a participatory quality to video.
Address the viewer directly and build in activities that they can do on their own. Ask them to reflect on their experiences or consider whether they agree with an argument. Remember that they are likely to be viewing your video on a computer and phone – are there online resources relevant to the video that you can direct them to? Some tools, like MacVideo, allow you incorporate questions as another way to encourage participation.
