A teacher should use whatever tools are accessible to provide the most meaningful lessons to their students. While face-to-face lectures and discussions aren’t going anywhere, schools should consider implementing technology to enrich the teaching-learning experience through video tutorials.
While videos can make a teacher’s job less strenuous, going about it incorrectly can be draining for the students and completely miss its mark. Here, we’ll provide you with ten tips on how to utilize videos for teaching effectively.
Tip 1: Break materials into digestible chunks
Although it’s less of a challenge to stuff an entire lesson into one full-length video, it can be difficult for students to digest the whole topic in one sitting. Instead, try breaking up video lessons into several one or two skills per video. If your students learn at home, consider breaking the topic into a 3- or 4-video series. Each video should provide in-depth detail of a part of the subject. A break between videos will give them ample time to review their notes before moving on.
Tip 2: Keep videos concise
Remember that students have been raised on watching short clips on YouTube. A 10-minute-long video should be brief enough to retain your students’ attention while helping them absorb the materials more efficiently.
Tip 3: Provide prompts to focus on crucial parts of the video lesson
Giving your students a set of questions or prompts will help them focus on the video lesson’s most crucial parts. Prompts will gently guide your students toward understanding the core of the lesson topic. You can provide a list of prompts on a downloadable worksheet or a handout you distribute before or during the class.
Tip 4: Encourage debriefing as a class or in groups
Debriefing, or discussing the topic after watching the video, is an important step for gauging whether the students have achieved the learning objectives. You can lead the pack by having the class debrief the lesson as a whole or by breaking the class into smaller groups to promote discussions amongst students.
To do this from home, you can set up online group meetings using Google Meet or Zoom. After the students are done watching the video lesson, you can engage them directly by giving commentary or by asking questions through your computer.
Tip 5: Pause and comment at necessary moments
If you’re playing a video lesson in front of your students, make sure to pause the video during crucial moments to give commentary or context to the lesson. Playing a full-length video from start to finish without pauses isn’t advised as students may be unable to fill in the blanks during the lesson. However, it may be necessary for remote learning, in which the list of prompts should assist in keeping your students’ minds on track.
Tip 6: Make the video accessible to students outside of the classroom
One of the greatest benefits of video lessons is that the teacher doesn’t always have to be present. If possible, use cloud storage or the school’s system to upload videos and make them accessible to students. That way, your students can watch the videos at home for supplemental learning.
If your school doesn’t provide a server to upload video lessons, feel free to use whatever else is at your disposal. For instance, use Google Drive to share videos with students or consider publishing your content on YouTube.
Tip 7: Convert videos to audio for podcast-style listening
It’s not always possible for students to stream video or download large files for later use. If this is the case, then consider using an online video to audio converter. Online Video to Audio Converter can be of tremendous help by converting a video format into another specific format or turning a video into a lightweight audio file for podcast-style listening.
Podcast-style learning can improve a student’s listening comprehension of complex lessons through conversational tones. The only drawback of using this form of learning is the lack of visuals that demonstrate a specific point or argument. You might need to supplement the audio file with a slide presentation.
Tip 8: Make video lessons a routine part of classroom learning
Try to integrate videos into your lesson plan whenever possible. Doing so will help your students become more accustomed to learning through a screen, which will help them process materials better when reviewing them at home.
The school administrators should have an active role in promoting video lessons to create a more comfortable environment for teachers. In the beginning, teachers might be delivering the entire lesson in front of a camera. In this case, you can start with a video introduction and gradually move onto prerecording the crux of the subject matter.
Tip 9: Record, evaluate, redo
There’s no guarantee that your recordings will be as effective as in-person lessons, either in the classroom or through video conferencing apps. So, before publishing a video for your students, make sure that you’re able to convey the lesson with as few gaps as possible.
Making your own video lessons isn’t easy, especially if this is your first time. During your off-time, record the lesson, watch it from start to finish, take notes on what needs changes, and edit them into the video file later on. Although it’d be nice if you had professional-grade hardware and software, they aren’t required to make learning through videos effective.
Tip 10: It doesn’t have to be perfect
You can spend every waking hour rehearsing a script, but when the cameras are rolling, you can get tongue-tied or forget your lines. Nobody expects you to be perfect, even on video. Uhhs and umms are common and easy to ignore. Also, try to keep edits to a minimum. Some students find video lessons easier to watch or listen to with imperfections.
Conclusion
Video lessons aren’t new in the teaching-learning experience. However, getting it done correctly remains a challenge, even among seasoned teachers. The tips provided above should help you create more meaningful, easy-to-digest content. The important thing is to begin creating your video teaching materials—it doesn’t have to be flawless since you will have time to engage with your students later on.
Story by Anthony Powell
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