For many people, “online learning” conjures images of successive videos, shot in a studio or perhaps on location, featuring high production value and expert, polished speakers, interspersed with short quizzes or activities. Indeed, strongholds such as MasterClass, LinkedIn Learning, and Coursera have mastered this formula and led many to believe that it is the recipe for success. While the economic success of these companies is undeniable, the effectiveness of an online course is measured by student success. When done well, video can have a positive impact on student learning (Clark & Mayer, 2011). Rather than designing your course according to the economic model, follow the evidence and research-based principles of visual communication, cognitive science, and online learning to decide when and how to create instructional videos. Through careful consideration of your learners, your objectives, your constraints, and the following best practices, you can spend your time and resources creating only the most essential videos. For a visual aid that accompanies this article, see the Video Planning Decision Tree.
Key Considerations
Prioritize learning. It may seem obvious, but the first consideration is to ensure that the video you are planning aligns not only with the course topics but with the learning objectives. Many video topics may seem relevant to your course, but relevance does not ensure alignment with learning goals. “When the medium of video is not well aligned with these goals, other forms of media, with different affordances for learning, should be considered” (Hansch et al., 2015, p.14).
Maximize the medium. Sometimes video isn’t the best medium for your content. For maximum impact, “[focus] on creating positive interactions and harnessing video’s unique capabilities (instead of just trying to replace in-person activities with video)” (Kaltura, 2020, p. 19). Such capabilities include “…building rapport among peers, going on virtual field trips, manipulating time and space, telling stories, motivating learners, showcasing historical footage, conducting demonstrations, and using visual juxtaposition” (Hansch et al., 2015, p.14). Consider whether it may be more effective to create your content as text on a page, a visual graphic, or an audio recording instead of a video. Molly Wasser, Lead Course Developer at HarvardX, notes, “If you can listen to it and not look at it, but still get the same amount out of it, should it be a video? Maybe you should be reading it, or it should be a podcast instead” (Hansch, et al., 2015, p.5).
Plan for longevity. Ideally, your video should withstand the test of time—for at least two years. One strategy for longevity is to keep your videos topical rather than tied to the textbook, which will afford you flexibility to change your reading materials in the future. Extract and synthesize key information from the textbook without referencing specific chapters, pages, etc. Don’t use your course videos to explain the course structure or assignments to students. This can be easily accomplished via text on LMS pages or through announcements.
Add value. Students want videos that will augment the required readings, not just summarize them. “Students have a choice of learning resources, both provided by faculty and sourced elsewhere, and spend time on the resources that they perceive to be the best value proposition for their learning” (Sturman, Mitchell, & Mitchell, 2018, p. 22). To accomplish this, focus on highlighting and synthesizing the most important or most difficult points, as well as sharing your personal experiences with and real-world examples of the subject matter.
Keep it short. Students are more likely to engage with shorter videos. Try segmenting your content to keep it around a recommended length of 5–8 minutes. An MIT study found the ideal length to be six minutes for mini lectures, and students have a maximum attention span of 10-15-minutes (Berg, 2014). To achieve a concise video, establish one clear objective. If you have a lot of information that you’re trying to cover, create a series of videos, each with their own objective related to the larger topic. There is no limit to how many videos you can create for your course, so long as each video is relevant and useful to the student. However, creating too many short videos with no clear objective will lead students to skip them. Likewise, providing two 40-minute videos with multiple objectives may be lost on students, as they’ll be unlikely to watch the videos to completion and unable to readily identify the most important information.
Next Steps
Strive to make videos that are relevant, valuable, concise, and long-lasting. If you feel confident that video is right for you, see the Envision guide Matching Video Production Style to Learning Goals. To explore alternatives to video, see Audio-Only Content to Support Learning and Incorporating Multimedia Into Your Course.
References
Berg, R. (2014). Leveraging recorded mini-lectures to increase student learning. Online Classroom, 5-8.
Clark, R.C., & Mayer, R.E. (2011). E-learning and the science of instruction: Proven guidelines for consumers and designers of multimedia learning (3rd ed.). Wiley.
Hansch, A., Hillers, L., McConachie, K., Newman, C., Schildhauer, & T., Schmidt, J.P. (2015). Video and online learning: Critical reflections and findings from the field. HIIG Discussion
Paper Series No. 2015-02.
Kaltura. (2020). Seventh annual state of video education in 2020 [Report].
Sturman, N., Mitchell, B., & Mitchell, A. (2018). Nice to watch? Students evaluate online lectures. Clinical Teacher, 15(1), 19–23.