Recorded video-based instruction content help deliver key concepts and lay foundational knowledge.
Short recorded videos help manage cognitive load - for example, through progressively revealing content and using visuals to support retention. Videos also help to increase teacher presence which is critical to student engagement, motivation, satisfaction, and grades.
Structure and Delivery
- Keep it succinct - research suggests that the optimal length for a video instruction is 6 minutes.
- Tell a story - engage learners by framing your lesson within a narrative structure. Open with a hook (for instance, start at the end and ask how you got there, or pose a question) then tell the story which gets to a resolution.
- Be informal - people learn better from multimedia lessons when communications are conversational rather than formal style. Forming social as well as intellectual bonds with students increases engagement which impacts positively on inclusion, well-being, motivation, satisfaction, and achievement. Be relaxed and bring your personality as well as your expertise.
Accessibility
- Provide a media alternative.
- Use closed captions and provide a transcript.
Note
Learn more in the Accessible Teaching section and via Aula's advice on how to use Echo360.
Tools
Check out Aula's advice on how to use Echo360 and check your institution's recommendations.
Efficiency
- Integrate visuals to show what you’re saying (Dual Coding).
- Avoid text on-screen - people learn better from graphics or visuals plus video and narration than from visuals and on-screen text.
Applied Learning
Use concrete examples or case studies - ‘show don’t tell’: talk about things first-hand, rather than in the abstract. This supports students to understand concepts more effectively.
Active Delivery
- Leverage active learning principles - add engagement prompts to the start of video content so that learners engage actively with it, e.g. ‘After this, you will be asked to….’. You can also provide a lecture note-taking template, include elaborative prompt questions within the slides, and build in pre and post-session activities.
- Check for understanding - one of the risks of video content is not knowing what students have understood (or indeed misunderstood). Mitigate this risk by always following video content with a complex check for understanding. This also doubles as a great way to boost student confidence and motivation.