Producing Video for Courses

Producing Videos for Courses

Whether it be for a flipped, online, hybrid, or face-to-face course, the choices made in designing instructional videos are different for every instructor but the overall process will always look the same. The following strategies will serve as that foundation. We’ve all seen great examples of videos for learning (e.g., Ted Talks) and the intent here is to help you become the great examples. In order to do so, you need to design the videos you create. Designing means making intentional choices for very specific and well-founded reasons.

As we prepare to create instructional videos, it’s important that we shift from thinking about simply knowledge transmission to more complex knowledge construction. That is, rather than seeing students as empty vessels for knowledge, we should help them synthesize new meaning from what we are presenting to them and what they already think and believe. That difference can help us design instructional videos that intentionally help students build on prior knowledge, make connections to personal experiences, and create a stronger sense of relevance.

We also need to recognize the pedagogical advantages of creating and using instructional videos. Evidence-based research on multimedia learning has revealed several key advantages. We all learn at different rates, so giving students control over the schedule and pacing of their learning individualizes the learning experience and increases their motivation to learn. Students can more readily view, pause, and review content, giving them a greater chance of not being left behind. If they get stuck during an assignment, they have the next best thing to office hours: a clear, concise explanation from the instructor via a video.

Identifying your audience

Of course, students are your audience, but we need to better understand our student audience(s) if we are going to design the best instructional videos for them. For example, we may assume that all of our students are coming in with proper foundational knowledge, but we must ask ourselves if this base knowledge is correct or complete. Some students may lack that prior knowledge or need a refresher to reactivate it. Other students may bring along biases or misconceptions that work against the learning they’ll do in this course, things we may have to address during design of our videos. Our students may also be coming to our classes via different curricular paths, so understanding the majors that enroll in our classes can help us develop examples and explanations that meet their needs. Again, if we approach the design process from the view of knowledge creation, we can take this information about our audience to design videos that will better connect with their prior knowledge and contexts, rather than trying to present acontextual information that has fewer connecting points for our students.

Identifying learning outcomes

Leaning outcomes should be the purpose and driver of your video, as they cue learners in to what they should know or be able to do as a result of a learning activity. Bloom’s taxonomy has a fairly extensive table that can facilitate finding the right verbs to identify the type of learning you are targeting. Think of the learning outcome as the destination of your video and any activities you will build around it.

Developing a plan for creating an instructional video

A good way to begin planning out the foundation of your video is to divide a paper out into two columns, writing out bullet points of what you will say on the left side and on the right estimating the amount of time you will speak on each point. This will not only help you manage your speaking time during the video, but also give you a good estimate on the total length of the video. This will be helpful for refining your content or breaking videos into segments, or a series, if needed. Though there is not necessarily a right or wrong answer when it comes to the length of a video, although it is generally recommended to be somewhere between 5-15 minutes. Video length is mostly dependent upon on what makes sense for the content—what content is essential to keep together, what you can get rid of, or what can be moved into another video.

Video Production

IU provides several tools for creating videos, both on and off campus. Both Kaltura and Zoom can be installed and used on most devices and operating systems. If you are looking to do more involved filming, instructors can schedule time in the Faculty Media Production Space (both full-service and self-service options are available), which provides high-definition recording services to all IU faculty state-wide. No matter which route you choose, review this helpful FAQ to ensure a smooth start to your video creation.

A couple of easy-to-use IU supported tools you can use to help with this process are:

Kaltura is a tool that will record from your webcam and/or microphone and is built into Canvas, streamlining the uploading and publishing process. Kaltura can simultaneously record what is happening on your screen, webcam, and microphone. If you don't want to be on camera in the video, you can select a PowerPoint to work from as you provide voiceover narration. Another ability provided by Kaltura which many instructors find useful is the ability to annotate onscreen while you are recording. Kaltura also has basic video editing capabilities which you can find in both kaltura.iu.edu and Canvas. If this sounds interesting to you, Kaltura can be found in the left-hand navigation in your Canvas course while the CaptureSpace feature can be found by clicking on Kaltura: My Media > Add New > Personal Capture. 

Zoom offers users a quick, straightforward method of recording with a very simple layout. Built as videoconferencing tool, instructors can not only record instructional videos using Zoom, but they can host the recording session for the class to attend virtually. Within Zoom, instructors can create break-out rooms, provide feedback, ask questions, and have students interact by working in groups and asking questions just as they would in-class. Zoom also makes it easy to switch between webcam, virtual whiteboard, and PowerPoint on the fly and has an easy-to-use annotations feature as well. Once you’re finished recording and end the meeting, Zoom will create your video and upload it to Kaltura to provide to students in your Canvas course.

Because Zoom is such a quick and easy way to record a video, it is also useful for creating quick post-class videos, where you can work an additional problem, offer additional explanations or examples for a concept from class, or address a point of confusion that was revealed through a Classroom Assessment Technique like "muddiest point." No need for perfection or high production quality, just a quick followup to support students' learning.