How to Make Effective Videos for Learning - Infinity Learn by Sri Chaitanya

Table of Contents

We developed an instructional model based on self-made videos that allowed students of all levels to learn at their own pace and master skills one at a time as teachers in a Title I high school. These screencast-style videos were used:

To replace traditional lecture-style direct instruction, allowing us to work one-on-one with students;
to provide instructions for projects and other difficult tasks; and
to provide remediation on skills that students may need to practice.

Today’s students use educational videos to learn everything from basic skills, such as changing a tire, to the latest dance craze. Millennials account for 92 percent of all digital video viewers, which is surprising. Thanks to the availability of effective educational video platforms for online learning, abstract topics that were once difficult to teach and learn are now more accessible and understandable.

Short video clips have been shown in studies to allow for more efficient processing and memory recall. Videos appeal to a wide audience because of their visual and auditory qualities, which allow each user to process information in their own unique way. In a nutshell, videos are good teachers.

We now train teachers to create their own blended learning classrooms as co-founders of The Modern Classrooms Project. The key is to give educators the tools they need to create their own high-quality instructional videos.

Unlike externally produced videos, these allow teachers to multiply themselves in the classroom without losing their authenticity – They can use the videos to give direct instruction while also moving around the room, answering questions, and leading students to deeper learning.

How to make an effective video for learning:

An educational video is one that aims to teach someone about a specific topic or set of topics.

While instructional, how-to, and training videos are educational, they usually focus on teaching a specific skill or set of skills.

Educational videos in higher education (or even K-12) can go far beyond skills and how-to. These videos cover a wide range of topics, including abstract concepts, theory, and much more.

1. Engaging students

Great educational videos, like great in-person lessons, should captivate students and keep them engaged and attentive.
There are a number of ways to make educational videos more engaging, but one of the most important is to include your own personality. Video lectures that are cold and impersonal are boring and will almost certainly cause your students to tune out.
Your enthusiasm for the course content should shine through, just like it did in your face-to-face lectures. Make your students as enthusiastic about learning the material as you are about teaching it.
You can also include interactive quizzes to keep students on their toes, as well as video hotspots where they can learn more about topics that interest them.

2. Proper size of videos

“Shorter is better,” according to conventional wisdom when it comes to educational video length. While that is a good rule of thumb, it is more accurate to say that your videos should be the right length for the topic.
It’s tempting to do the same thing with video because we’re used to longer in-person class sessions. However, in order to fully benefit from the benefits of this type of learning, your videos must be easily digestible. That could be two minutes or twenty minutes, depending on the subject.
Consider your students’ cognitive load, the difficulty of the learning content, and the learning objectives of the video.

3. Be Focused

The length and engagement of your videos are directly related to whether they are focused on a single topic or a group of related topics. Videos that try to do too much or that jump from topic to topic are ineffective and will lose students’ attention.
Ascertain that each video has a clear learning objective, and then create the video that achieves that goal – nothing more, nothing less.

Put your students’ needs first.

Any learning content, video or otherwise, should be centered on the needs of your students.
This is about more than just content. Consider how the content will be consumed by the students.
Knowing what your students require and expect will help you ensure their success.

Also read: 5 Keys to Success in Hybrid Learning

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Do students learn from videos?

Ans.

Educators can use video learning to create time and space for active learning on both sides of the classroom. A video can be reused and updated as needed once it has been created, freeing up classroom time for live discussions and student engagement.
Without ever being in the same room, video engages both the student and the educator in a one-on-one relationship. Video helped educators build and foster authentic relationships with students, according to a compelling 2016 study by the Online Learning Consortium.
The use of visual and audio cues aids in the comprehension and retention of new information. According to Forrester Research analyst James McQuivey, one minute of video is equivalent to 1.8 million written words. Students are forced to think critically when confronted with complex content when the video is used in the classroom.
Video learning has been shown to have positive effects on a variety of levels, including increased motivation and deeper learning, as well as influencing students’ ability to facilitate discussions and identify problems.
By allowing both general and special education teachers to teach students at their own pace, video can help close the gap in training. Students can rewatch a video as many times as they need to in order to gain and retain information. Deaf students, for example, can read the video thanks to captions.

2. What makes an effective educational video?

Ans:

Keep your videos short and focused on your learning objectives. To communicate the relevant parts of an explanation.
Use audio and visual elements; make them complementary rather than redundant.
Use signaling to draw attention to key ideas or concepts.
To increase engagement, use a conversational, enthusiastic tone.

3. What is the importance of video lessons?