Using Videos in Your Course

Using videos and images in a course is a great way to add variety and present materials in multiple ways. When using multimedia, one option is to follow a policy of “Adopt, Adapt, Create.” This means that we first want to see if there are materials already created that we can use without making any changes to it. If there are no materials like this to be found, we then see if something will work with just a little modification (editing a portion out, etc.). If none of those can be found, we then create the necessary materials.

Creating Your Own Videos

Video Length

One of the most important things to keep in mind regardless of what type of multimedia you are creating is that students like it short. As much as we would like our students to want to watch an hour-long lecture on the topics we are passionate about, they are not likely to in an online course where there are so many other distractions at their fingertips.

Utah Valley University did extensive research on the video watching habits of their students in courses and discovered that most students stop watching instructor-created videos after about the ten minute mark. More than a fair number even stop the video after five minutes. While it is not necessary to make sure all of our videos are shorter than five minutes, it can be helpful to plan out topics for videos in five-ten minute chunks if possible.

Making the Video

Michael Wesch, a cultural anthropology professor at Kansas State University created an excellent video talking about making your own videos.

Make Super Simple Videos for Teaching Online (11:17)

If you're up for something a little longer, ACUE hosted several excellent webinars about creating microlectures and engaging students with those lectures and course readings. You can watch the webinars or read the transcript by clicking the video title link.

Recording Effective Microlectures Links to an external site. (59:38 )

Engaging Students in Readings and Microlectures Links to an external site. (1 hour)

SLCC Resources for Creating Your Own Videos

If you would like to create multimedia, SLCC has a number of resources available. In the Technology Building on Redwood Campus, we have a studio that includes a sound booth for recording audio and screencasts and a set where you can film videos. We have a knowledgeable staff that can assist you with all of the technology and do the recordings for you. If you would like to create images, we have a graphic designer that we can work with to develop those.

eLearning's audio recording sound booth.	eLearning's video recording studio.

If you would like to create screencasts (a video that records what is on your computer screen and can include narration) on your own, there are a number of technologies you can use (Jing, Screencast-O-Matic, Free Screencast, Captivate, etc.), but you have also probably noticed that SLCC has adopted a screencast/video platform within Canvas. Using the My Media tab, you can create screencasts, videos, and audio files for your course. You can also upload any media created with other tools to play within this platform. The Teach Anywhere Guide Links to an external site. has tutorials for using these tools.

MultiMedia Theory and Principles

If you are interested in the theory behind some of the best practices for creating lecture-type videos, please watch the video below. Many professors have done research on how to create multimedia that helps students learn, but one of the biggest names in the field is Dr. Richard Mayer, a professor of psychology and brain sciences. He formulated a set of principles for creating multimedia that is based on the research he has done into how the brain works. This video by Dr. Kacz gives an overview of Mayer’s Multimedia Principles that we can follow as we develop multimedia materials.

Mayer's Theory of Multimedia Learning (5:24)

For a more full discussion of these principles by Dr. Mayer, you can watch this longer video, Talking Multimedia with Dr. Richard Mayer Links to an external site. (optional).