Making & Using Videos

Videos

Using videos in your online teaching is a great way of establishing online instructor presence. It is also a great way for students to communicate! We have a new video provider YuJa. In YuJa under your username you will have your own library to upload videos or make new videos. Closed captioning is almost instant in videos you make of yourself or that students make. See below for more information on accessing YuJa for video sharing, making, and screen shares! You could use these for student presentations, lectures, instructions, and much more!

We would be happy to provide assistance, so if you have any questions please contact the ITS Helpdesk at 303-352-7548 or support.msudenver.edu. For questions related to the use of videos, creating effective videos or other “teaching” questions, please contact Becky Cottrell at [email protected]

Why Videos?

Videos in online learning serve many different purposes. They serve to connect, create community, clarify, illustrate, demonstrate, assess, highlight instructor presence, engage, motivate, and much more. Though really great in many ways,  making and posting  yourself in a video can FREAK people out. It is one thing to publicly speak where you are not able to see yourself or play it over and over again BUT a whole other thing to make a video of yourself that you can watch over and over and that you feel will forever be a public demonstration of your not so brilliant self.

Videos in CANVAS

Within Canvas, you can use videos in almost every tool, page, module, discussion board, or assignment section. You can upload and record your own videos through YuJa Media Chooser, but you can also insert videos from YouTube, any video with an embed code, and other sources. It is good to give an introduction to the video or describe what the students are watching and why it is important for them to watch. * Please try and upload all videos to YuJa or create in Yuja as this makes sure these videos are there when you want to use them and it also saves space in your Canvas course!

General Video Tips

Give Context to Video: Let student know why they are watching it, what it is about, and what they should get out of it. I just learned this from going through the ID help with CTLD. Having an intro about your video, linking it to their assignments, or other areas of the course help students understand why they should watch and what they should get out of it. This keeps them motivated and reinforces their engaged learning.

Make Brief Videos: Videos should be between 3 and 10 minutes long. This is something I struggle with constantly when making videos as you will see in my videos below. It is better to make multiple short videos that one long video. This helps the learning objectives as there is just one or two objectives per video which keeps the instructor on task and the learner engaged. It also allows students to digest little bits of information and than apply them, helping with retention and integration.

Be Intentional: Why are you making a video vs a power point vs just writing an email to students? Use a video when you want to connect with students or demonstrate a skill. Students like videos, but this doesn’t mean you want to only make videos or just one kind of video. It is a good idea to have a reason why video is the medium that works best for your learning goals. This will help your course with offering many diverse ways of engaging in the content and student interactions.

Sound and Picture: Make sure to have good sound and picture. Practice and try this out a couple of times. See where the best light is in your office or home. Make sure there isn’t a lot of ambient noise or distractions. Though I do find students love to see my cat walk by 🙂 ! Make sure your face is well lit and there is not a bright light or window behind you causing your face to be dark. It doesn’t have to be professional but it cannot be distracting or difficult for the students to engage, because they won’t.

Be Authentic: Don’t worry about messing up, pulling up the wrong power point, etc.! Students really like to see your engagement, excitement, and effort when making videos. They don’t care if they are perfect. It is also a good example to them about how to participate in the course if you too are authentic. If you want to try something new, let them know you are trying it out and welcome feedback. I had an instructor that gave a tour of campus recording themselves on an iphone. It was shakey, funny, he tripped, but we all LOVED it.

Video Accessibility

YuJa creates captions for your video and you can check and edit these to make sure that they are accurate. It is essential to have closed captions on your videos and to provide the transcript of a video as an attachment if students need it for reading. Please visit this site for more information on accessibility and videos: https://www.msudenver.edu/ctld/programs/instructionalaccessibility/accessibilityguidestutorialsandreferencepages/multimediaaccessibility/

Next Steps

Create a welcome video: 

Don’t overload students with too much information. Short and concise is best. Try to make your videos no longer than three or four minutes. When is the last time you watched an instructional video that was longer than five minutes that held your attention? If you have more to say, record more videos.

  • Short and engaging. Remember, you want to motivate your students and not overload them with too much information. Don’t discuss specifics or add dates.
  • Show your personality. Include a section with photos or clips of your life. What do you do in your free time?
  • Follow the rules. Include your expectations for behavior and participation.
  • Add notables. Include special instructions or requirements, such as virtual class meetings.
  • When are you available? List your availability and communication expectations. Let students know your expected response time for emails and posts, and when grades are available after a deadline.
  • Include your virtual office hours. Let them know that questions and concerns are welcomed.
  • Help is available. Direct students to available tech support to show that you want everyone to be successful.
  • Start here. Show students exactly how to get started in your course.

What doesn’t belong in an intro video?

Some information isn’t necessary in a welcome video. Add these specific details in the syllabus:

  • Course times and meeting places
  • All the details of your contact information
  • University rules
  • Plagiarism and netiquette guidelines
  • Grading policies
  • Textbooks
  • Specific assignment list and important due dates

Tips for success

With a little effort and planning, you can produce a high-quality video. Also, many institutions have video recording studios with teleprompters. You might feel more comfortable reading your script or referring to it as needed. With a full script, you can easily add captions to your video. To make multimedia in your course accessible to people who have disabilities, you must add captions.

  • Create a script or detailed outline to help keep your video brief.
  • Sit close to the camera-this helps students read your nonverbal cues and facial expressions.
  • Make eye contact with your audience by looking into the camera or webcam. Don’t concentrate on the script or watch yourself in the computer.
  • Check microphone settings.
  • Use a plain, light background and wear dark, contrasting clothing with little pattern.
  • Add a light in front of you instead of behind you. Your face and background will be crisp and clear. However, if you can use lighting from multiple points in the room, you will look even better.
  • Find a quiet place to record where you and your audience won’t be distracted.
  • Schedule time to practice and film multiple times.
  • Speak as you do in class-engaged, with enthusiasm for the subject.
  • Add visual aids whenever possible.