The week started with a lot of excitement about the
two courses I’m taking in the winter quarter. I read the article “Appropriate Use of Media in Education” on the very first day. The book Building Expertise: Cognitive Methods for Training
and Performance Improvement by Ruth C. Clark presents very insightful ideas on the theoretical framework for
developing practical instructional methods. I visited her website: http://clarktraining.com/ to read more about her. There are many informational articles on the company’s
blog.
The article “Appropriate
Use of Media in Education” discusses different forms of multimedia and their
appropriate use. I totally agree with the point that, “. Video can help gain and hold
the attention of learners.”
A few points came to my mind. I think
these points are imperative while selecting and creating a video for a classroom or a training.
Learners interest: While creating video
learner’s vested interest in the learning, those
help them to acquire knowledge or develop new skills, should be kept in mind.
Selecting an
educational video:The videos must be selected after watching a range of
educational videos/clips, so as to find the best fit for its intended purpose. There
is a plethora of videos, ranging from home-made videos to the videos made by
professionals. Therefore, one needs to spend time in selecting a most
suitable one.
Dealing with
ethical issues: If you find a video on youtube or dailymotion or Vimeo it does
mean that it is free for downloading and anyone can use it. A number of times
the videos have copyright restrictions and can not be used without permission.
For a free video, you always have to provide reference of the video just like
we do it for a book or an article.
Introduction and a summary: While creating an educational
video for a classroom or training, a good practice is to take a few minutes to
introduce viewers to the key points and the highlights of the video they are
going to watch. Similarly, provide a brief summary of the relevant points at the
end.
Length of the video:
What is the ideal length of a video. The answer depends upon the viewers’ age
and the interest level. Any video between 8 to 12 minutes is ideal. It is best to
present long explanations in the form of short clips rather than making a long
video. This would retain the attention of the viewers and provide them a better
understanding of the concepts being presented.
Quality of the
video: The quality of a video matters a lot. While preparing a video, a close attention should be paid to
the sound clarity, lights(if it is being recorded live),and the streaming
issues.
