Using Pre-recorded Videos for Online Classes

Digital Learning

The use of interactive synchronous sessions conducted online is helpful in engaging students in active discussions and clarification of doubts. Some instructors also use pre-recorded videos, recorded online sessions, and slides with narrations to complement these interactive sessions.

The use of videos has become an integral part of higher education as it serves as a cornerstone of many blended learning courses.  Videos offer students the flexibility to pause, take notes, and to study at their own pace. Several studies have shown that videos can be a highly effective educational tool especially in self-directed learning (e.g., Kay, 2012; Allen and Smith, 2012; Lloyd and Robertson, 2012; Rackaway, 2012; Hsin and Cigas, 2013). Here at SMU, instructors also use pre-recorded videos, recorded online sessions, and slides with narrations to complement other interactive learning strategies.  

In order for videos to serve as a productive part of a learning experience, there are three key elements to video design and implementation: cognitive load, active learning, and student engagement. 

Cognitive Load

The Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning builds on the Cognitive Load Theory which posits that working memory has two channels for information acquisition and processing: a visual/pictorial channel and an auditory/verbal processing channel (Mayer and Moreno, 2003). Based on this premise, effective learning experiences through videos could be enhanced through the following:

• Signaling: The use of on-screen text or symbols to highlight important information and direct learner attention.
• Segmenting: Chunk information to allow learners to process bite-sized pieces of new information. This can be accomplished by either allowing students to pause their videos or embedding questions within the video.
• Weeding: Exclude extraneous information from your video, that does not contribute to the learning goal. Examples include music, distracting backgrounds, or extra features within animation that cause the learner to have to guess if he needs to pay attention to them.
• Matching modality: The use of both the audio/verbal channel and the visual/pictorial channel to convey new information. For example, showing an animation of a process on-screen while narrating it to give the learner dual and complementary streams of information to highlight features.

Active Learning

Consider the use of active learning strategies to help students process the information and concepts in your video and to monitor their own understanding.

• Provide scaffolds such as guiding questions to help students process the important points in the video.
• Integrate questions into the video and provide auto feedback based on student response e.g. Edpuzzle, Mediacast.
• Make the video an essential part of a larger homework assignment.

Student Engagement

Try to include elements that help promote student engagement so students will go through your entire video.

• Keep your videos short. Studies have shown that median engagement time with 9-12 minute videos was ~50% and the median engagement time with 12-40 minute videos was ~20%.
• Use a conversational style rather than formal language during multimedia instruction. Studies have shown that a conversational style encourages students to develop a sense of social partnership with the instructor and has a large effect on students’ learning, possibly due to greater engagement and effort (Meyer, 2008).
• Speak relatively quickly and with enthusiasm. A study on student engagement with MOOC videos suggested that student engagement was dependent on the instructor’s speaking rate, with student engagement increasing as the speaking rate increased (Guo et al., 2014).
• Ensure that the video and content feel relevant for the students in this class. While one of the benefits of creating videos is the ability to reuse them across other classes, it is important to package them with instructions outside the video to contextualize the content.
• Match modality. When explaining a concept, try to show your face or show an animation of the story. When solving a problem, provide students with step-by-step narration as you work through the problem. Providing visual elements will help to promote student understanding and engagement with the lesson.

For more tips, please access our e-bulletin ‘Designing Effective Videos for Blended Learning’ at this link.

Recommended Tools

Kaltura Mediacast

Kaltura Mediacast is a streaming media platform where faculty and students can view SMU’s media online via desktop and mobile devices. Create screencast and interactive video quizzes and share the videos with your students.

Visit https://mediacast.smu.edu.sg or this link for tips on using Mediacast. 

Other options

• PowerPoint with narration: Record a slideshow with narration and slide timings (learn more).
• Screencasting with Loom: Create screencast videos and narration (learn more).
• Creating Doodle videos e.g. Doodly: Create screencast videos and narration (learn more).