29 Chapter 18.4: Multimodal Genres (Videos and Podcasts)
29 Chapter 18.4: Multimodal Genres (Videos and Podcasts)
Videos
Across all disciplines, many instructors have adopted the use of video in instructional settings including face-to-face classrooms, blended learning environments, and online courses. Video can be used to enrich or take the place of printed texts. Video can recruit and sustain interest for a particular topic. It also offers students the opportunity an active way to demonstrate understanding, especially for those who experience challenges in the area of writing or live presentation.
Video can be a compelling way to communicate your ideas and research. According to Joseph Moxley of The University of Florida, writers may provide video to:
- Underscore the content of the print text, illustrating key concepts. For example, an agency hoping to secure funds for hungry people could show a video of their living conditions.
- Illustrate the content of the printed text. A researcher could provide a video of the people he or she interviewed. A technical writer could provide a screen movie to show users how to complete instructions.
- Inform or persuade people who respond more positively to an engaging speaker than printed texts.
Tips for Creating Quality Video
The following tips from the National Center on Accessible Materials will help you create high-quality videos that will engage your audience
Be clear about the goal or purpose of the video
- State the goal in simple language at the beginning of the video.
- Title your video based on its goal or purpose.
Start with a transcript
- Organize your thoughts and create a transcript so that your delivery is smooth and the video does not run long.
- Use the transcript to create the closed captioning for your video.
Be concise
- Keep your video to ten minutes max. Why? Research from MIT indicates that six minutes is an optimal length for an instructional video. Need more time? You have two options:
- Create several shorter videos, each with a descriptive title, and provide them in a “playlist”
- Edit a longer video into short segments separated by title screens. While this doesn’t shorten the whole video, breaking it into segments can help with retention.
Make it interactive
- Insert knowledge checks in your video. Pause at transitions to new topics or concepts and pose a question or encourage reflection and deeper engagement with the content.
Be descriptive
- Avoid generic words (e.g. this, that, there) in favor of more descriptive language. Students may be multi-tasking and unable to look at the screen the entire time. Using descriptive language is also helpful to students who are blind.
Minimize distractions
- Make sure the background of your video is as plain, simple, and tidy as possible. A busy background competes with your learners’ attention.
- If you are recording yourself, consider your clothing. Solid colors with more muted tones tend to work best. Avoid patterns, for they can appear to “dance” on video.
- If possible, plug in an external m