Methodology Behind Creating Videos for Online Courses

According to research by the edX educational platform, online course students spend most of their time watching videos. So, video is the most popular and important part of the course. So how to make them interesting and informative?

Why Is Video an Effective Learning Tool?

When you read, information comes to you only through a visual channel. And when you watch a video, there are two: visual and audio. That is, you watch and listen. Research shows that combining different types of information is more effective for learning.

Why? When information is received through only one channel, the area of ​​the cerebral cortex that is responsible for processing this type of information is activated. For example, you read – the visual cortex and related areas are activated. Many students simply prefer this type of learning to doing boring, monotone assignments, employing services like paper writing service MasterPapers to do the tasks for them.

When you receive information through multiple channels, more areas of the cerebral cortex are activated. For example, you are watching a video – at least two areas are activated: the visual and auditory cortex.

The more areas of the cortex are activated to process the same information, the more connections between neurons are strengthened. More connections – more effective learning. You can read more about the effectiveness of this strategy in the article “Combine to learn effectively.”
So, video is both an effective and a popular tool. So how to make it as high quality and useful as possible?

How to Create a Quality Video for an Online Course?

Classes in the classroom usually do not consist of completed logical pieces for 6-10 minutes, because it is designed for a longer time. Therefore, for an online course, the usual recording of a lesson or lecture is less effective than recording short logically completed videos.

More students try to complete the task after the video if one video is a lecture planned in advance for the online course (green curve on the graph). Relatively fewer students try to complete assignments after viewing recordings of regular lectures that were not planned for video sharing in the online course (red curve on the graph). According to a study by edX.

If you are recording a lecture, class, or presentation to an audience for an online course, plan them in advance. Prepare the material so that it consists of short finished pieces. The best video length is 6 minutes. Maximum – 9 minutes. If the video lasts longer, students will most likely not watch it until the end.

Of course, you could integrate some additional incentives to make students continue watching the materials, for example, – GradeMiners.com Announces a $1000 Essay Writing Scholarship Available Until August 1, 2021. However, such things are incredibly budget-heavy and require incredulous backing, which is why the video content itself should be enticing enough without any additional factors.

The Difference Between Lectures and Tutorials

Students also view lectures and “tutorials” in different ways – step-by-step explanations of certain tasks. For example, a step-by-step solution to a math problem is a “tutorial.”

Usually, students watch the lecture only once, and tutorials – a lot. Therefore, add links to different parts of the tutorial at the end of the video. Then it will be easier and more convenient to return to a certain step of solving. Summarize at the end of the video – name the most important thoughts. This will logically complete the video and make navigation easier for students. After all, they do not have to reconsider it again to find key ideas.

Don’t try to slow down your video. Talk as fast as you tell a fascinating story to your friends. For example, the most popular in the study were videos where the lecturer spoke with enthusiasm and quite quickly – 185-254 words/min (in English).
For shooting tutorials, prefer not the slides, but the format used by the Khan Academy. Write the solution and explain it throughout the solution. This format encourages students to try the tasks suggested after the video.

So, the components of a quality video for an online course:
Duration up to 6 minutes.

⦁ A complete finished thought.
⦁ The natural rate of speech.
⦁ Optimal format according to the situation.

Also, the video expert should speak simply and explain the new information through metaphors and analogies. They should be supported by diagrams, images, or animations.
Professor R. Mayer in his lecture for the Harvard Initiative for Teaching and Learning gives some more advice:

⦁ Use visual materials but avoid unnecessary details.
⦁ Highlight the most important ideas. For example, highlight keywords in bold if you display text on the screen.
⦁ Combine audio and visual information. For example, the animation will be better perceived if the explanation is oral rather than textual. Explain the material at the same time as the animation or images appear, not after them.
⦁ Personalize. Tell the material as if you were talking to a viewer.

Don’t Forget the Script

Obviously, the script should be on par with the video supporting material. Writing eloquent and precise scripts is hard, which is why many people often delegate this task to writing experts on such services as MasterPapers. Both video and textual materials should combine to create an incredible learning experience for the students.