Should I Press the Record Button Yet? Creating Videos That Stick

Introduction

In recent years, video has become an integral component to online, blended, and face-to-face learning environments in higher education.  Meta-analyses have shown technology can enhance learning (Means et al., 2010; Schmid et al., 2014), and multiple studies have shown video can be a highly effective tool (Allen and Smith, 2012; Kay, 2012; Stockwell et al., 2015).  Furthermore, research has shown video to enhance universal design (UD) by improving access to content for all learners (Burgstahler, 2009) and increase learner engagement (Kolowich, 2010).  Regarding UD, captioning and transcribing course videos, for example, provides access to deaf students but benefits learners for whom English is a second language and to those watching recordings in noisy environments.  On the instructional delivery and student engagement sides, examples of effective use of video include, but not limited to, instructor introductory and module/unit overviews, flipping lessons, student-created videos for enhancing online discussion boards, and video feedback on course projects and other assessments.

Despite the value added, video may not be inherently effective.  Guo et al. (2014) have indicated some learners often disregard lengthy video segments, while MacHardy and Pardos (2015) have illustrated that some videos contribute little to student performance.  How, then, do instructors use video in powerful ways to enhance accessibility to course content, improve instructional delivery, and engage students to induce deep learning/thinking in online learning environments?  The following design elements and technology resources discussed in this discovery session will provide a foundation for developing and using video effectively in online courses:

• Use guided storyboard and outline templates for the planning of effective instructor-created course videos (instructional delivery).
• Implement strategies such as cueing/signaling, use of humor, and creation of interactive video quizzes to create compelling video content (student engagement).
• Use readily available tools to caption and transcribe course videos to increase accessibility, guided by universal design principles, for all learners (accessibility).

Enhance Instructional Delivery:  Plan and Prepare to Avoid Cognitive Overload

Cognitive load theory (CLT), according to Sweller (1994, 2003), explains that visual and verbal information are processed under the constraint of limited working memory capacity.  For learners, receiving too much information can lead to extraneous mental effort that can negatively impact how this information integrates into one’s existing knowledge structures.  Segmenting, or chunking, video content allows learners to engage with smaller bits of new information and gives them control over the flow of this new information (Brame, 2016).  Weeding is another method for eliminating extraneous information for video recorded content that does not contribute to the learning goal.  Use of storyboards can assist instructors in reducing cognitive overload by mapping an outline of text and visuals that specify: what will be said, outlines visual elements, and determines the sequence of material/information.  Working from a script, which may be derived from a storyboard, can (a) cut down on anxiety for instructors who may feel uncomfortable speaking impromptu and (b) can be an essential starting point for the creation of closed-captioned videos to enhance accessibility for all learners.  In this session, participants will examine storyboard templates and outline guides that can help reduce cognitive load while effectively organizing instructional content for video recording.

Enhancing Student Engagement: Going Beyond Lecture Capture

Some perceive student engagement as increased audio-visual communication on the part of the instructor.  According to Kolowich (2010), “The more that exchanges occurring within an online learning environment resemble those that occur in classrooms…the more that students will feel connected to their professors and classmates, and the more likely they will be to say in a program.”  However, mimicking the face-to-face communications and interactions is not realistic in most online courses, especially for asynchronous activities.  Instead, it is important to remember that students feel more connected when the instructor demonstrates an active teaching presence, which can take many forms including effective use of video content.  Some methods include having an icebreaker activity where students create a short introductory video about themselves, designing course activities or assignments that encourage students to create and share video content, and embedding questions into an instructional video to check for understanding and give feedback on student responses (Vural, 2013).  Throughout this session, attendees will identify/discuss a number of strategies and tools that can assist with increasing student engagement through video content.

Increase Accessibility with Transcription and Captioning Tools

Transcribing and creating captions for videos have several benefits for instructors and all learners.  In fact, research has shown that creating accessible video content and learning environments increases student engagement for all learners; not just learners with learning and/or physical disabilities (Thurber and Bandy, 2018).  For instructors and/or video content creators, however, the process for creating transcriptions and captions can be a time-consuming and sometimes difficult task.  In this discovery session, attendees will identify and explore several free tools that can help instructors, course developers, instructional designers/developers, etc. create video transcripts and captions in a shorter amount of time.

References

• Allen, W. A. & Smith, A.R. (2012). Effects of video podcasting on psychomotor and cognitive performance, attitudes and study behavior of student physical therapists. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 49(4), pp. 401-414.

• Brame, C. J. (2016). Effective educational videos: Principles and guidelines for maximizing student learning from video content. CBE-Life Sciences Education, 15(4). Retrieved from https://www.lifescied.org/doi/10.1187/cbe.16-03-0125

• Burgstahler, S. (2009). Universal design of instruction (UDI): Definition, principles, guidelines, and examples.  Retrieved April, 9, 2019 from http://www.washington.edu/doit/Brochures/Academics/instruction.html

• Guo, P., Kim, J., & Rubin, R. (2014, March). How video production affects student engagement: An empirical study of MOOC videos. Paper presented at the L@S ’14: ACM Learning @ Scale Conference.  Retrieved from http://delivery.acm.org/10.1145/2570000/2566239/p41-guo.pdf?ip=129.62.33...

• Kay, R. H. (2012). Exploring the use of video podcasts in education: A comprehensive review of the literature. Computers in Human Behavior, 28(2), pp. 820-831.

• Kolowich, S. (2010). The human element. Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved April 25, 2018, from https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/03/29/lms

• MacHardy, Z. & Pardos, Z. A. (2015, 26-29 June). Evaluating the relevance of educational videos using BKT and big data.  Paper presented at the 8th International Conference on Education Data Mining: Madrid, Spain.  Retrieved from http://www.educationaldatamining.org/EDM2015/proceedings/short424-427.pdf

• Means, B., Toyama, Y., Murphy, R., Bakia, M., & Jones, K. (2010). Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies, Washington, DC: US Department of Education.  Retrieved from: https://www2.ed.gov/rschstat/eval/tech/evidence-based-practices/finalrep...

• Schmid, R. F., Bernard, R. M., Borokhovski, E., Tamim, R. M., Abrami, P. C., Surkes, M. A., Wade, C. A., & Woods, J. (2014, March). The effects of technology use in postsecondary education: A meta-analysis of classroom applications. Computers & Education, 72, pp. 271-291.

• Stockwell, B. R., Stockwell, M. S., Cennamo, M., & Jiang, E. (2015). Blended learning improves science education. Cell Press, 162(5), pp. 933-936.

• Sweller, J. (1994). Cognitive load theory, learning difficulty, and instructional design. Learning and Instruction, 4(1994), pp. 295-312.

• Sweller, J. (2003). Evolution of human cognitive architecture. B. Ross (Ed.), The psychology of learning and motivation, Vol. 43, Academic Press, San Diego, CA.

• Vural, O. F. (2013). The impact of a question-embedded video-based learning tool on e-learning. Educational Sciences: Theory and Practice, 13(2), pp. 1315-1323.

• Thurber, A. & Bandy, J. (2018). Creating Accessible Learning Environments. Retrieved from http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/creating-accessible-learning-....

Outcomes/Goals

• Attendees will discuss effective planning strategies that assist with video recording content outlining while managing cognitive load to enhance overall instructional delivery.
• Attendees will identify design and instructional strategies that use video to increase student engagement.
• Attendees will identify and discuss available video transcription and captioning tools to increase accessibility for all learners.

Effective Practice Criteria

• Innovation:  This discovery session will introduce design strategies and digital tools for using video in online learning environments by planning effectively for recording meaningful videos while managing cognitive load, increase student engagement with video content, and increase accessibility by transcribing and captioning videos.
• Replicability:  All techniques, strategies, and tools presented in this session can be effectively and efficiently implemented at other universities for any online, blended, and face-to-face learning environment.
• Impact:  The strategies and tools presented in this session can assist with using video effectively in online courses.  These strategies and techniques can easily be adapted at other institutions.
• Supporting Evidence:  The presenter will provide a list of peer-reviewed sources that support the strategies discussed in this interactive discovery session.  Sample videos created by Baylor online faculty will also be highlighted.
• Scope:  All techniques and strategies discussed will be applicable to all learning environments.

Materials

• A laptop will be used to show examples of instructor-created video content using Kaltura, a third-party video creation/management solution that is integrated with Baylor University’s instance of the Canvas learning management system. 
• A handout will be provided with sample video planning storyboards, guidelines for organizing content/information, and a list of specific free transcription and captioning software to enhance accessibility.

Target Audience

• Higher Education faculty, instructional designers, instructional technologists, and administrators will benefit from this discovery session.
• All experience levels may benefit from this session.

Audience Active Engagement

• Attendees will have an opportunity to caption sample instructional videos and view videos created by Baylor faculty.
• Participants will be asked to share their experiences, suggestions, and challenges with using video content in online learning environments.