One – Don’t be scared, just give it a go!

Embedding video content within your own Moodle course can be a great way of engaging your students and enhancing their learning experience.

Two – Think about your audience

Think about what it is that you want your students to learn from engaging in this video – will it add value to their learning experience? Is this the most appropriate way of delivering course content? Will watching the video deepen students’ subject knowledge? How will the content delivered in the video tie in with the course learning objectives?

Three – Planning out your recording

You may have lots of ideas of what you want to talk about in your video – whether it be a new topic you are introducing or an old topic you are revisiting. However, plan exactly what it is you want to say and when, and then break this down into bite-sized chunks. You can create a storyboard to help you do this. This will help you to refine your presentation and add structure.

Once you have done this write a script; read it out aloud so that you can hear what works and what feels too forced. Having a script also means that you have a readily available transcript document, therefore providing an alternative format for those students that have accessibility issues when watching videos.

Four – Using visuals

To help make your video more interesting and engaging use images and graphics along side your presentation to illustrate key points and explain complex concepts. However, don’t go overboard and send you students into visual stimulation meltdown, as too much can also distract the audience from the point you are trying to make – keep it relevant!

Five – How to add interactivity

Following on from the video why not set up a discussion activity that allow students to apply what they have learnt from the video. You could also create some questions that test students’ understanding of the information that has been delivered.

Six – What about the length?

The length of your video is really important. When possible try to keep recordings to a maximum of 10 minutes or create pauses to give your audience a chance to digest and reflect on the topic you are presenting about. Studies have shown that students do not engage with video lectures in the same way as face-to-face lectures

Seven – Be Copyright smart!

Make sure that any material used in your videos is copyright cleared – this means using sites like Creative commons and Flickr creative commons or gaining permissions directly from the original owner of the material.

Eight – Using equipment

Tripod: If you are not using an integrated lecture capture system then you need to consider  using a tripod for your recording – wobbly footage can cause quite a nauseating effect in your audience!   

Best possible lighting: Unless you are recording in a professional studio you will need to think carefully about the quality of lighting in your chosen recording location. Good lighting will maximise the picture quality – think about whether there is enough natural light from windows or whether the room has adequate lighting.

Microphone: sound is a really important element of your recording… if the audio is bad then your audience is not going to be able to engage with it and will very quickly lose interest in what is being presented!

Nine – Location, location, location

Choose the space wisely! You’ll need a quiet location where you know you won’t be interrupted or disturbed. Locations that suit the topic you are presenting on are great. However, be wary on how practical the location is to record and be aware that you may need permission to be there!

Ten – You; The presenter!

Rehearse and practice before pressing the record button…

• Be yourself!
• Dress in neutral clothing
• Avoid fast movements and fidgeting!
• Be natural and informal in your delivery – try, when possible, to bring humor and your own experiences into your presentation
• Speak clearly and using short sentences and don’t panic if you get your words muddled… just carry on as if you would do in a lecture theatre!
• Make eye contact with the camera in order to connect with your audience