Category: Instructional Video

Informal Learning, Instructional Video, YouTube

YouTube: For Producers and Consumers

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Image by Thom Sibent from Pixabay

There’s a lot more to YouTube than videos of cats chasing squirrels. What a great resource for teaching and learning! Whether you want to watch videos, share videos, or curate videos that others have created, YouTube makes it easy! 

If you want to move past just searching and viewing videos, consider creating your own channel. It’s easy to do. Then you can develop playlists of videos that you create and/or playlists of videos that others have created. Use the videos in class or provide them as a resource for students or the world. As YouTuber Tyler Tarver says, “Make playlists for those you want to help.”

Here are a few YouTube channels that you might want to explore:

With all of the tools available today, creating video content is something anyone can do. Students enjoy seeing their instructors in videos, and not only can these videos provide some review or extra help for students, they can also help deepen connections with the instructor. Video is ideal for capturing a special event or conversation to share with others. No need to worry about necessarily keeping videos short either – if it is engaging, people will watch. 

A couple important things to consider when using YouTube. As a consumer, it’s important to review a video all the way through before posting in Blackboard or using in class to make sure it’s what you really want to share. On the flipside – as a producer, if you post a video to YouTube, you have three choices – private, unlisted, or public. Private videos aren’t available to anyone else. Unlisted videos aren’t available in searches, but they can be seen by others. If someone knows your channel, they can view an unlisted video. Public videos are available in searches and for anyone to see.

Instructional Design, Instructional Video

Video Creation for Face-to-Face and Online Courses

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Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

Summer may be the perfect time to record some videos for your classes! With some planning, it’s possible to record videos for an entire course in just a couple days. Recently, one of JBU’s psychology professors spent a couple days in the JBU Light Board Studio doing just that.

The Light Board Studio features a glass markerboard framed in lights that make your annotations stand out. One of the most powerful benefits of the light board is that students can see the instructor eye-to-eye as they write on the board. PowerPoint can be incorporated in the videos, and a teleprompter is also available. The videos can be embedded or linked in Blackboard. 

Instructional videos are often used in online courses, but they may also be used in the classroom – to co-teach with yourself. They are great for introductions, project overviews, and tutorials. They may be used to flip the classroom, providing content to students before they come to class. Brief topical videos are learning objects that can be used in multiple courses. Students appreciate videos for reviewing concepts or for catching up if they must miss class. Videos are also nice for extending learning by providing supplementary information on related topics.

In addition to the Light Board Studio, the One Button Studio is available for creating videos at JBU. PowerPoint, documents, and web pages may be incorporated into the videos. Black and grey backgrounds are available, as well as a whiteboard. Two microphones are available, so this space works well for conducting interviews. Below are some tips for recording in the studios.

Tips for Studio Recording

  • Plan your video content.
  • Plan your visuals and annotations.
  • Plan your commentary or write a script.
  • Keep text to a minimum on slides.
  • Try to keep videos short, chunking the content.
  • Try to make videos timeless, so they can be reused. 
  • Consider the background when selecting clothing.

In addition to the two studios, VidGrid is available for desktop video creation. Faculty Focus has a nice list of 10 Tips for Creating Effective Instructional Videos that will help you make the most of your desktop instructional videos. 

Instructional Video, Oral History

Oral History Project

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War and Life: Discussions with Veterans

Abstract

During relaxed, informal one-on-one discussions with a history professor, combat zone veterans from World War II, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan provide first-hand accounts of history by sharing stories and photos from their military experience. These discussions are recorded in a small university video recording studio and after editing, the videos are posted on the War and Life website. As a result of sharing their memories, these veterans are inspiring others to overcome adversity, and they are encouraging more veterans to share their stories. As history is seen through the eyes of veterans, non-veterans also have the opportunity to learn about military service.

Oral History

Oral history is not new, in fact it has undergone transformation four times since its beginnings. At times, memory has been a trusted source, and at other times it has not. At this time, memory has once again been designated as a relevant and valuable resource. In addition, Thomson (2007) notes that sharing life experiences can be therapeutic. Therefore, sharing stories is a practice that has become more prevalent over time, and it may be an added benefit to veterans who share their stories.

According to Thomson (2007), we are in the midst of a “digital revolution of oral history” with no end in sight. New technology has led to global communication, and it has provided a plethora of new tools, methods, and ideas in how we “record, preserve, catalog, interpret, share, and present oral histories” (Thomson, 2007, p. 68). Not only are these tools available, they are also very user-friendly making oral history content creation an opportunity that anyone can enjoy.

Thomson (2007) predicted that computers would be utilized for recording oral history and that webcams would be put to use for interviews via web conferencing with interviewees from around the world. He suggested that video would be easily accessed through the web, and that is certainly true (Thomson, 2007). YouTube is a valuable tool for oral historians and interested viewers alike to which this project can attest. Many other resources are available for oral history curation as well. 

Technology

Through the use of a convenient and easy-to-use recording studio known as the One Button Studio, recording interviews can be done with little advance planning or notice. The One Button Studio uses free software from Penn State to power the studio – where video recording is as simple as the touch of a button (One Button Studio, 2018). PowerPoint slides are embedded with photos provided by the interviewee. 

Through the use of a switcher application on a Surface, the interviewer switches from the camera view to the slide view and back to the camera as they discuss events related to the photos. Slides are advanced using a wireless keyboard. A large monitor on the wall provides a view of what is actually being recorded. A wired microphone and a wireless microphone provide good quality audio for the recording. For virtual interviews, Zoom has been used as the web conferencing application. 

Camtasia is the editing software of choice. Once editing is complete, videos are shared on a network drive before being uploaded to YouTube. Finally videos are linked to two websites – one for all veterans and one for veterans who are alumni of the University. Some interviews on the site go back to 2004 and have been converted from DVD recordings.