Recording a lecture film is not the same as lecturing in a physical classroom on campus. And now we are not talking about the technical aspects, with camera, microphone, handling video files, etc., but about how you need act in the lecture. Here are seven solid tips.
First, it is almost never a good idea to make the recording in the physical classroom itself. It is almost always better to do it from your desk, with you in an armchair or in another room that is more intimate and personal. Each student will meet you on his own through the screen and not as part of an audience with other student colleagues who also contribute to what is happening in the room.
Here you get seven advices, taken from Guo, Kim and Rubin (2014), somewhat edited:
1. Keep it short!
Shorter movies are more engaging. The research shows that the commitment decreases drastically after about six minutes.
Spend time planning and segmenting lectures into sections shorter than six minutes. The total time for a video lecture can thus be significantly longer, but should then be linked together by a number of films each shorter than six minutes.
2. Something has to happen on the screen!
Videos that alternate between showing the lecturer and e.g. PowerPoint slides are more engaging than just showing slides.
Take time to edit the film, afterwards or make a plan in advance about how to change what is shown in the video. It does not have to be so much and so often, but the film benefits greatly from experiencing the lecturer’s presence in the film.
3. Let instructions and illustrations emerge
Instructions that emerge during the time the lecturer is speaking are more engaging than e.g. “all at once” PowerPoint images.
Create movement and continuous visual flows together with spoken descriptions so that the student can gradually follow the teacher’s way of thinking. Let what you see follow what you say. Showing a complicated image that you then talk about for several minutes works worse than having an image been gradually be build up for the viewer (by making a series of images). It helps the student stay focused.
4. Keep a high tempo, it is possible to pause
Films where the lecturer speaks with a relatively high pace and with great enthusiasm are more engaging.
Do not speak slowly and clearly but rather quickly and with energy. With video, the student can always pause and rewind if needed. The short pauses you need to create in the physical space, which help the audience to digest the content, can be created by the student themselves with the pause button.
(Well, always speak with a clear voice. Check the sound! Sound in video recordings is almost always more important than the images.)
5. Perfect is not always better
Videos that give a personal feeling can be more engaging than more professional studio recordings.
Try to make the recording in informal environments and create a feeling that the lecture takes place especially for the viewer.
For simple instructional videos, the camera and microphone in your laptop are excellent. But test first, so you are familiar with the whole process of recording and taking care of the recorded video file before you start the actual filming.
6. Spend time on videos that are to be used many times
Recorded lecture videos and instructional videos are used in different ways. Some videos are meant to be seen once, others many times.
Lecture videos should focus on the first time a student sees it. An instructional video should be designed to help you find individual episodes by fast-forwarding or skipping. This can be done e. g. by adding distinct text signs to new sections in the film.
Practice. Write a supporting text manuscript and practice it in front of the camera before recording. Then you also get to know how long the video will be.
And spend more time on getting it right when producing videos that are to be used many times, e. g. lecture films that can be used for several semesters. It can save you time again and again.
Do it again if it didn’t go well. If the movie is short, you can afford this. The film will get better and can be used multiple times.
7. And again: When you record, leave the classroom
Lectures recorded in classrooms are less engaging than lecture films recorded specifically for the purpose. This also applies to high-quality films recorded in classrooms.
If, after all, you choose to record lectures in the classroom, you should pay extra attention to the other recommendations for recorded lectures.
References
Guo, P. J., Kim, J., & Rubin, R. (2014). How video production affects student engagement: An empirical study of MOOC videos. 41–50.