When considering taking or creating an eLearning course, it almost goes without saying that there must be videos. The creation of videos is something that requires a lot of thought, software, and some skill.
Why are Videos Important?
The use of videos in any course, especially an online course, has many benefits. They can:
Encourage brainstorming,
Increase learner motivation and engagement,
Meet various learning styles,
Transfer knowledge,
Reduce time in class,
Provide interaction,
Be used for employee onboarding and training,
Be tailored to the audience and needed content,
Allow for self-direction in the pace and path of the course,
Use several modes of communication in one place making it easier to remember the content, and
Provide engaging visuals and tone than paper-based learning (Pappas, 2015; Pappas, 2016; Quigley, 2023).
If you are making your own videos, it is wise to consider Gagne’s instructional design principles, one of which is to be creative in the presentation method. This can be done in videos through the use of storytelling, creating interactive videos, and gamification (Penfold, 2022).
Creation Tips
When creating videos, prior preparation is essential. There are several things to consider during the preparation stage such as:
Identification of goals and learning objectives,
Selecting the most appropriate authoring tools including microphones, cameras, and editing software,
Target audience research,
Storyboard creation including scripting, and
Selecting the format such as screen capture with or without face capture of speaker or a person presenting directly to the camera (Pappas, 2016; Quigley, 2023).
Before beginning to record, a detailed storyboard needs to be made. This helps with script writing, identifying the visual and interactive elements needed, and setting the timing. (Pappas, 2016; Pappas, 2015). Scripts are important in the planning process. It should be written in natural language that will sound natural when it is read, and it should be streamlined to eliminate redundancies (Pappas, 2015).
Videos need to have a strong opening that will gain the attention of the learner. In an interactive video, the number and timing of interactions must be determined. Interactions could include links to other sites, articles or supplemental resources, surveys, annotations, or links to branching scenarios. Interactions must be appropriately spaced, so as not to overwhelm the learner or lose their attention (Pappas, 2016; Penfold, 2022).
When the preparation is done and it is time to record, make sure that every part is perfect to prevent distractions by things like a decoration out of place or weird shadows. It is also recommended to record it more than once, so that it is easier to edit. Variety is also good to help maintain engagement. This could include things such as different camera angles, music, animations, and graphics (Pappas, 2015).
When editing, remember that shorter is better. Aim to keep your video in the 2-3 minute range to help keep your viewers’ interest. Eliminate long pauses, and break a longer video up into smaller sections if needed. Each section should cover just one concept. Help your learners take in and retain the content by narrating your graphics. Make sure the videos are accessible by making them viewable on any device, including closed captions, and compressing the size (Pappas, 2015; Quigley, 2023).
Using Videos
In your courses, whether online or in-person, you can use videos you have created or other appropriate videos you may find such as Ted Talks. Either way, these videos can be uploaded into an LMS and/or a video hosting service like YouTube. If you are concerned about your students skipping through the videos, you can use video tracking, which will prevent this (Quigley, 2023).
When using videos in your course, using a great video is important, but it will lose its effectiveness if not implemented well. This is an area that is important to me as an instructional technologist because I believe more training is needed for many teachers. Here are a few videos from Common Sense Education that provide some strategies and food for thought about how to best use videos.
References
Common Sense Education. (2016, July 12). How to use video in the classroom. YouTube. Retrieved March 8, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSKHcevI8EQ
Common Sense Education. (2016, July 12). Take classroom video to the next level. YouTube. Retrieved March 8, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSK4noPp1t8
Pappas, C., (2015). Producing High Quality eLearning Videos:The Ultimate Guide. Retrieved March 5, 2023 from https://elearningindustry.com/producing-high-quality-elearning-videos-ultimate-guide
Pappas, C., (2016). 6 Steps To Create Interactive Online Training Videos. Retrieved March 5, 2023 from https://elearningindustry.com/steps-create-interactive-online-training-videos
Penfold, S. (2022, April 19). 9 instructional design principles for building an Elearning Course. LearnUpon. Retrieved March 5, 2023, from https://www.learnupon.com/blog/instructional-design-principles-building-elearning-course/
Quigley, E. (2023, February 21). How to create employee training videos. LearnUpon. Retrieved March 5, 2023, from https://www.learnupon.com/blog/employee-training-video/
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