5 Secrets to Creating Engaging Videos for Learning
Way back in December 2019, I proposed a session for the American Accounting Association’s Conference on Teaching and Learning (CTLA) on how to create engaging videos for learning. They accepted before COVD19 was even on our radar, but the presentation has become very timely – especially for my northern hemisphere colleagues who only had a few weeks of online teaching before they went off on the long summer break.
These aren’t really secrets – but it makes for a catchy title – and these are things I’ve learned over 10 years of making content for students and also for YouTube. We had to upload a 10 minute short version of our session to the conference website but I’ve also made it available here (or if video isn’t your thing – scroll down for a blog post).
You can download the slides from the presentation from Figshare below.
Tip 1 – put yourself in the frame
Students are more engaged by videos that show their teacher – so be brave and show your face on camera – just a floating voice over slides isn’t terribly attractive. Try and be overly enthusiastic – this is one I learned from YouTube – when lecturing in front of a large hall – a mentor Prof Bill McCarthy advised me to add 20% – to be larger than life. Being on camera sucks out some of the normal energy we would have in our classroom – so you need to consciously add it back. Show your love for your topic 🙂
Make sure your face can be seen clearly, minimize shadows and backlighting – sit in front or side on from a window, but never have the window behind you.
If you are uncomfortable being on camera the whole time, then try just an introduction and conclusion before moving to voice over PowerPoints or other recordings.
Tip 2 – clear audio is critical
The microphone built into most laptops is pretty awful – it will pick up a lot of echo and your voice may sound a bit tinny. Good external microphones are really reasonable – I love the Boya BY-M1 – available on Amazon and eBay. It will connect into laptops, cameras and also smart phones (if you’re an Apple user, you’ll need a lightning to headphone adapter – these are only a few dollars).
Tip 3 – frame your shot with science in mind
Do some Googling on the rule of thirds – where you place yourself when framing the shot will help people naturally gravitate to watching and engaging. This is a rule from photography and film making but equally applies to creating educational videos.
Tip 4 – use your phone
You don’t need a fancy camera – your smart phone will do! Or the webcam on your computer. Remember to add that external microphone for crystal clear audio. You can buy smart phone holders to attach to a tripod, or even just use a water bottle or a bag of rice to lean your phone against.
Tip 5 – planning and editing is essential
Try and have a consistent approach/structure to your videos – a welcome or introduction, learning objectives, content, recap. Be sure to include a “call to action” – on YouTube, you’ll see creators ask you to like the video or subscribe. In education – it could be to get them to contribute to a collaborative activity or share thoughts on a discussion board.
Neuroscience is a powerful tool in making engaging video – fill in the blank activities in your PowerPoint slides, adding stock images or video, annotating your slides by drawing/highlighting or creating diagrams from scratch while talking about how the process works will help your students stay engaged.
If you’ve got more time for editing – and the video is you talking directly to the camera without slides, consider subtly zooming in 10%, then a few minutes later, zooming out again. This very subtle action convinces the brain that something is happening. Even changing the background colour on a slide can trigger this brain reaction as well.
Try and keep your videos relatively short – I don’t believe in sticking to the magic 7 minute rule that is floating around on the internet. Some of my videos are 3-5 minutes, but others are longer – but never longer than 15 minutes. Some times you just need more time to explain something complex!
Just press record
The key thing is to just give it a go – press record and start your first video. Learning to make video content for education is a skill to be developed over time – just like our ability to teach large classes, design assessments or conduct research. The more that you try, practice and get feedback – the better that you’ll be!