2A: Introduction to Videos
Module 1 | Module 2 | Module 3
Module 2A: Introduction to Online Videos | Module 2B: Creating Videos | Module 2C: Trying Out Videos
Module 2A Description: Flipping the class puts what used to be 'in' the classroom (typically the lecture) 'out' of it (that is what this module is about), and what used to be 'out' of the class (typically examples, peer learning, homework) 'into' it (that's what Module 3 is about). We will start with Module 2A finding out about the types of videos that can be created, and considering what type is best for your class. In Module 2B, you will create videos of your own, starting with simple examples for your class (not whole lectures), test them out, get feedback, and then create and try a full lecture video set in Module 2C.
Module 2A Objectives: At the end of this module, participants will have:
- Decided what type of video they want to create.
Expected time (Module 2A): About 1 hour
1. Think Like Your Student Start this module by taking the student-centered perspective. Imagine yourself as a student in your class. Think about why you are in this class, and what you want to gain from it (excited and nervous about your future career?). Think about the challenges you may be facing -- managing the technology (this video is taking forever to download), having to talk with other students in the class, or the teacher (what if they think I'm stupid?, what if I ask a dumb question?), distractions (my girlfriend just dumped me, hasn't she texted me yet?), time management (4 exams and two writing assignments due this week, and my boss wants me to cover for him at work), and more .... Think about the technology they use most (iphone? ipad? computer?), and how accessible it is for them (college students are very different than K12 here), and how the use it on a day to day basis. Think about the following videos from the student perspective:
2. What Type of Video Do You Like Best? Look at several examples of different types of video lectures. Don't watch the videos all the way through, just get a sample of what they are like.You can also find additional examples from your own discipline (check out YouTube
Links to an external site.! and other resources from Module 1A).
Think about:
- What kind of video do you find most appealing to watch and why?
- What can the instructor do to make a video more appealing?
- How long can you listen to a video before losing attention? To be fair, choose a video in your discipline or a topic you are interested in.
- What content in your class lends itself well to video, and what does not? (For example, in my class, transferring facts or information that might also be written in a textbook is a good use of video. Another example is examples! Being able to watch and rewatch an example can help a student gain the skills to do the work independently.)
For videos below on YouTube, note some of the special features.
- Automatically tells you how long the video is, and how much of it you have watched.
- Easy to repeat sections as needed (just slide the slider at the bottom of the video)
- Comments are shown below each video (I give students 5 points extra credit for finding & commenting on errors in my videos. Sometimes they think I made them on purpose. I didn't =)
- Tells you number of views (I can see more detail including where / when the videos were watched from)
- Check out the closed captioning (click the cc box at the bottom of each video), in any language or for hearing impaired students.
Here are some examples of different types of videos (remember, don't watch them all the way through):
Whiteboard (no class, self video). For this video, I used my pocket-sized camera (just my inexpensive camera, from home) on a tripod and pointed it at the white board in my office. Then I went about doing the lecture more or less the same way I would have done it on the board in front of the class. I have no audience here, just the camera. Pros: It was easy, and the equipment was inexpensive and easy to come by. I didn't have a tablet PC at the time. Cons: The audio was pretty good, but the video quality could have been better. In some of these lectures the YouTube compression made the whiteboard look blurry. To compensate, I took a photo (*.jpg) of the board, and posted that along with the video for my class. This is one of my most popular videos (94,444 views as of Dec 2013). Probably this is because so many different classes teach Gaussian Elimination.
Link
Links to an external site.
Professional videographer (takes more time and money)
Link
Links to an external site.
Blackboard (with a Live Class): Here is a very similar MIT lecture, on a blackboard. The videographer is taking the video from the back of the class.
Link
Links to an external site.
Hands Writing (document camera): Here is another 'self' way to do the same sort of video, using a document camera. With some level of clunkiness, you can also do the same thing with your regular (home) camera on a tripod, pointed down at the page. (As an aside: I often use PatrickJMT videos as reference material in my courses.) Some faculty feel more comfortable with this writing method.
Link
Links to an external site.
Using a LiveScribe Pen Links to an external site.:
Power Point (with a live class): Here is an example of a seminar (an invited lecture, not a 'teaching class'). Here is an example where I think it was very important to see the presenter, not just the slides.
Link
Links to an external site.
Power Point + writing (no class): This was a 'typical' power point lecture converted to video using screen capture software.
Link
Links to an external site.
Tablet PC (no class): Here are several examples of videos created with tablet PCs. This is my favorite way of making videos that involve lots of math, drawing, etc. This is the method I use almost exclusively today.
Here is an interesting example that involves drawing and math (time 0:22 to 1:30), a physical example (time 1:34 to 2:33), and drawing over figures and equations from the book (time 2:35 to the end). I am writing on a power point template, using the drawing pens from power point. The picture of the physical example as well as the figures and equations from the book are just pictures I took with my home digital camera, dropped into power point and cropped as needed.
Tablet PC's allow you to use a screen capture software (see Module 3B) to capture and turn into video ANYTHING you can show on your screen. So you can write with a stylus on the screen as I have done here, run software and demonstrate how to run it (see the cursor moving to demonstrate what to click), see your face with a computer camera, etc. and all of that (any combination) can be captured to create your video.
Note that you do not see 'me' in this video. Students often comment that this feels like I am there, closer than the videos where you actually see 'me' in front of the white board, as if I am 'at their shoulder'. This works well for my discipline (electrical engineering), because what they are trying to learn is the MATH. They want to see the EQUATIONS, not me. In your discipline, what is it that students really need to SEE? Is it the equations/graphics/pictures (as in this lecture), your vocalization/face motion (as in languages), your actions/hands/body (as in nursing), your attitude ?
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Links to an external site.
By the way ... did you notice the little trip ups or vocal mistakes I made in this video? It isn't perfect ... How much did that matter to you?
The Khan Academy is well known for their black backgrounds and colored pens. Note here that the problem was shown typed on the slide before they got started, and then the teacher wrote over the problem and solved it. I've had a lot of discussion with my students about black vs. white backgrounds, pen colors, etc. And so far, the jury is out. What do you prefer? How Khan Academy videos are made.
Link
Links to an external site.
Video showing interaction with a patient:
(If you have trouble opening this link or the next one, go to http://panopto.com/ Links to an external site. Resources-Sample Videos)
Video including microscope closeups
And even more examples from a wide variety of disciplines Links to an external site.
Here are several of Dr. Furse's students talking about what they think about the videos, and how they use them:
You can either listen to what an individual student says about their experience, or (I'd suggest this one) check out how they use the videos, how long they think they should be, etc. at the bottom of this page:
https://eq.utah.edu/u/items/65204bfe-2008-457b-aa79-5f541b0dfefd/1/viewcontent?_sl.t=true
INTERACT WITH PEERS!
Get some discussion going in the 2A discussion forum about the different types of videos and what type of video you think will work best for your disciplinary context. Share your questions about videos, your experiences with videos. The threads are divided by disciplinary area so you can interact with peers around your own disciplinary traditions.
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