10 Tips for Recorded Lectures

You may choose to upload your PowerPoints to Canvas or provide written lectures, but you might also want to record video lectures to create multiple means of engagement for your students (it is always best to err on the side of greater flexibility!). Here are 10 tips for creating good video lectures (and the resources to go with them).

1: Keep is short. Chunk it.

Students can’t sustain attention when it comes to a long (video) lecture. A “regular” lecture in the 55-minutes–plus range is a virtual impossibility for students. Your best bet for students to retain the material you present to them through video is to break it up into smaller segments of no more than 10 minutes (and, more realistically, five or six, if possible).

One now well-known technique to do this is called “chunking”—chopping up a larger lecture into “bite-sized” pieces and matching these pieces up with related materials and framing language. In doing this, you might, for example, find that you will be able to re-purpose your lecture notes to have a written introduction, a 6-minute video explanation of a key topic, a short reading to go with it, some connecting language, another video, and so on. Depending on how you lecture, you may have already done this to an extent. It saves work for you, in the end, because a) you only have to make a few short videos for key ideas instead of recording (and potentially editing) a longer lecture, and b) it signals to students exactly what is most important.

Another benefit to chunking is that you aren’t repeating the same information in too many places. Students can feel like they’re spinning their wheels when the textbook, the readings, the lecture, and the take-home essay are redundant. The other side of that coin is that you can use videos to key students into the parts of their homework where they should pay particular attention. Shorter videos can also help guide students when it comes time to review the information they may have missed. They can, for example, watch the one video on a key concept from Chapter 4 rather than needing to scrub through the 55-minute recording about Chapters 3 and 4.

2: Make it interactive (when possible).

This one relates to chunking but stands on its own as well. Consider incorporating interactive elements into your videos. If you’re worried about the technical aspects of that, have no fear! While it is a relatively painless process to, for example, add a multiple-choice question to a Kaltura video, it’s even more painless to simply provide a literal pause in-video for students to reflect on a question. Especially effective questions are those which ask students to form opinions, draw connections, or apply information. Answers (if there are any clear ones) can appear after a short pause or, if your question(s) are posed at the end of one video, at the beginning of the next. If you are searching for a more dynamic interactive experience, consider utilizing PlayPosit (integrated with Canvas) for your videos

3: Make it dynamic.

When you’re in the classroom and you’re using the whiteboard—or even just as you move about the room—you’re providing valuable context to the information students are taking in. It’s sort of how temperature is not a flavor but definitely plays a role in how you taste and enjoy your food. Any addition that can make a video more dynamic will make it more memorable. Consider incorporating a whiteboard or scratch paper (either physical via webcam or digital as part of the recording) or manipulatives (when appropriate and realistic). You could also consider using the Lightboard (eGlass) Studio on the 5th floor of the Cofrin Library. It functions as a transparent whiteboard and can add a unique feel to your videos.

Another piece of making a video more dynamic is making sure students see your face. Putting a face to a lecture alone can help increase a video’s effectiveness (one hypothesis as to why is that we cannot help but engage more with a speaker when instinctively tracking their eyes).

4: Give specific & transparent instructions.

When should I watch this video? What should I be paying special attention to? How does this relate to the homework? Will this be on the test? It’s a bit tongue-in-cheek to ask these questions, but they are in the back of students’ minds. What is obvious in a face-to-face setting is often missing in the online environment. It never hurts to be exceedingly clear about the purpose of your videos and where they fit in the grander scheme of your course. Tell students exactly when to watch the material (for example, “after reading Chapter 6” or “before taking the Unit 3 quiz”), and why they’re watching. Provide framing language whenever possible (e.g. “This lecture covers Topic X and clarifies the most confusing parts of Chapter 6. In it, I provide two examples of Y. Try to think of another example or two. Ask yourself how the author would address the problem posed at the end of the video.”).

5: Set (reasonable) expectations.

With a large degree of certainty, students will not watch all of your videos. If your video material is one-to-one the same as face-to-face instruction, you’re likely to lose their focus early on. Be sure to take student bandwidth (mental and technical) into account. For example, can some of a longer lecture be written out? Many (not all) students prefer to read at their own pace to watching videos that require a certain level of real-time mental digestion. Also be aware of student (and your own) time. Recording video takes time—and watching it takes time as well. If students have multiple courses with video content, they can quickly become taxed by screen time. Consider saving video for key concepts, problems, and demonstrations. Also think about whether you might provide a transcript alongside your videos that students can review later on. You might also offer some lectures in a different format (such as downloadable audio) – just keep this in mind, less can be more.

6: Review, repeat, & be repetitive.

You have probably heard that it takes three times, five times, or some other number of times hearing a piece of information before you “remember” it. Of course, we know there’s no hard-and-fast number of times that will ensure you’ve “learned” something. Because students are constantly “filtering” what you say in this way, it’s critical to re-emphasize what’s most important—but doing so without alteration is likely to get filtered out yet again. When information is re-articulated rather than repeated, it’s easier for students to link what they’re hearing to prior knowledge, construct patterns, and form imagery around it—all tendencies tied to their ability to remember.

7: “Guide on the Side” (too).

Students aren’t present when you’re recording with a webcam in your home office. This often results in “talking to” rather than “talking with” students as you might in a face-to-face interaction. The old cliche in instruction is that there are “sages on stages” and “guides on sides”. While it is challenging to remain a “guide” on video, it can be done. To do so, remember to always provide context for your videos be it within the video itself or with framing text where the video is added to your course. Give students a way to interact with the material such as a study guide or guiding questions at the outset. The best videos are those that steer students to information and draw connections and conclusions rather than the more instinctual tendency to provide it directly.

8: Keep accessibility in mind.

When making video, remember that access may be restricted due to impairment or bandwidth limitations. It’s a good idea to make videos downloadable in the event students do not have strong internet. For the same reason—and to accommodate a variety of study habits—it is a good practice to provide a transcript of your video and audio content.  This will also provide an avenue for learning for the visually impaired. For the audio impaired, it is also good practice to accurately close caption all audio/video materials.

9: Use what already exists.

While there’s a lot of junk on the internet, there is also a wealth of quality content already available on YouTube, Vimeo, and other streaming sites. You may even be able to find audio/video materials available through PBS, NPR, TEDEd, Khan Academy, or the like. This will cut down on your workload and may well generate a more robust variety of perspectives as well as a variety of types of content that will help keep students engaged.

10: Record it especially for online.

This one is #10 because, while it’s good practice, it might not be practical depending on your course. What it comes down to is that lectures recorded specifically for online are more effective than a “repurposed” recording of a face-to-face session. The exception is when the face-to-face session is recorded and then uploaded for the same audience to return for review rather than as a “replacement” for face-to-face attendance.

Communication Methods & Recommendations

A communication challenge you might face whether you’re teaching in an in-person class, a hybrid one, or one that’s completely online, will be to try to communicate the same information to students who are not able to attend the in-person class, or to communicate with students who may have fallen behind. Remember, you should strive to provide equitable communication to all students, and opportunities for students to communicate with you and with each other, regardless of how they’re engaging with the course. Not only will some instructors have to consider how to communicate important information to students in different physical locations, but also across modalities and time.

The expandable sections below offer some additional information when considering how to communicate instructor to student, student to student, and student to instructor.

✅ Might work because

  • Efficient, but remember that your communication and that of your students will be limited by who attends in-person.
  • You can use the classroom environment to support your goals for the session: whiteboards, projectors, screens, and other equipment in a physical classroom.
  • Hand gestures and body language can help you get your point across.

❌ Might not work because

  • One group of students will get the information first.
  • We have limited interaction time with students, and may not be able to communicate everything we desire to in the time we have.
  • Potential classroom distractions may limit the intake of the communication for some individuals.

✅ Might work because

  • Personable and efficient.
  • Effective for one-to-one communication.

❌ Might not work because

  • Time intensive if you have to do this with every student.
  • Students don't necessarily talk on the phone—they may feel more comfortable communicating through email.
  • Ephemeral (unless you record it!)

✅ Might work because

  • A "distribution list" will allow you to send a message to your entire class at once.
  • Familiar to you and to students.

❌ Might not work because

  • One-on-one communication can get "noisy" and relies on the class list in SIS or Canvas (not Outlook).
  • Media limited.

 

✅ Might work because

  • Engage the whole class or specific groups of students.
  • Keep related things together.
  • Familiar in principle to students.
  • Less formal.

❌ Might not work because

  • Requires regular/frequent interaction for best results.
  • Small learning curve in Canvas initially.
  • Task needs clarification.
  • Less formal.

✅ Might work because

  • Intuitive and in Canvas.
  • Alert the whole class or sections of students all at once.
  • Allows for rich media (video messages, images, etc.).
  • Students get notified.
  • Allows for student comments (optional).

❌ Might not work because

  • Students can disable email notifications—but still see announcements when in Canvas.
  • Can get noisy with frequent use.

 

✅ Might work because

  • Feels more like being in the classroom.
  • Sessions can be recorded for review (or for those who miss).
  • Varying levels of interactive options (whiteboard, breakout groups, chat, polls, etc.).

❌ Might not work because

  • Steeper learning curve the first time.
  • Relies on a good connection and technology.
  • Logistically, some students cannot make it to synchronous sessions.

✅ Might work because

  • Allows instructors to create channels for specific people, or a whole class
  • Can @ people to notify them; and use emojis to respond to chats
  • Could be useful for communicating expectations for group work.

❌ Might not work because

  • Students may be more familiar with it as a synchronous meeting tool rather than as a communication tool
  • Easy to get lost in threads if users don't tag each other for communicating
  • Steep learning curve to utilize full functionality

✅ Might work because

  • Intuitive and familiar to students.
  • Easy to use.
  • Synchronous.
  • A "history" of the chat is available to the entire class making it good for Q&A-type sessions.

❌ Might not work because

  • Synchronous.
  • Media limited.
  • Whole-class only. Cannot be limited to specific students.

✅ Might work because

  • Displays course due dates automatically.
  • Can add other items (like reminders).

❌ Might not work because

  • Requires "due dates."
  • Only the names of events appear directly on the calendar.

✅ Might work because

  • Create blocks of time for students to sign up to meet one-on-one (e.g. office hours).
  • Can use a "feed" to add these blocks to Outlook.

❌ Might not work because

  • Required additional communication so students know how and to use them.

Learning Outcomes that Lead to Student Success 

What are learning outcomes and why do you need them?

There’s a famous misquote from Lewis Carroll, “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there.” The same is true in our courses: if you don’t know what you want your students to learn, it doesn’t really matter how or what you teach them. Every instructor wants to ensure student success, but if we as instructors don’t have accurate and well-thought-out learning outcomes, what does success mean in our classes? Creating learning outcomes should be a collaborative process where instructors responsible for teaching a course come together to craft these statements based on the most important learning in a course, taking care to maintain a balance between critical thinking and base knowledge while keeping an eye toward what makes a learning outcome an achievable learning goal.

Learning outcome creation

Before you create course learning outcomes

  • If your course is part of a program, you should ensure that the learning outcomes mesh with the rest of the program to meet all program learning outcomes.
  • Plan collaboratively with colleagues teaching the same course. All learning outcomes for sections taught of the same course should have the same learning outcomes according to the HLC (Higher Learning Commission) criteria 3a.
  • With colleagues, determine and list the most important learning or skills that will take place in this course.
  • Whittle down the list if it is too large. Consider what you and your colleagues can reasonably accomplish during the semester.
  • Pay attention to the conversation around Generative AI. What your students need to know and do may change because of the rapid development of AI.

Considerations as you create your learning outcomes

  1. Keep assessment and, therefore, your verb choices in the forefront of your mind. As you write learning outcomes, you want to ensure that the learning outcomes contain actions that can be demonstrated. When you ask students to “understand” something, this is difficult to demonstrate. If they “explain” it instead, that is an action that can be done and measured in various ways.
  2. Keep Bloom’s Taxonomy next to you as you create. It makes sense to use a taxonomy when writing outcomes. In Bloom’s model, skills and verbs on the bottom of the pyramid are less complex or intellectually demanding than those at the top of the pyramid; keep in mind they may still be totally appropriate, especially for lower-level courses. More critical thinking skills are required for those skills at the top of the pyramid, but it is useful and acceptable to use verbs and abilities from all levels of the pyramid. If you are teaching an upper-level course, you don’t want to draw all your verbs and skills from Bloom’s Taxonomy’s knowledge level. You should be using some higher levels in Bloom’s system.  The chart below can be a guide as you create those learning outcomes and note that generative AI developments may make the original chart problematic in different ways. There are alternatives to Blooms, as well.

    Alternatives to Blooms Taxonomy levels and verbs.
    Newtonsneurosci, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, v Wikimedia Commons
  3. Use SMART Goals also. In addition to including Bloom’s Taxonomy as part of your learning outcomes, we encourage you to make sure that your learning outcomes are created using the SMART goals model.   SMART goals were developed in 1981 by George Duran, who noticed that most business goals were not created in a way that could be implemented effectively.

SMART is an acronym we can use to describe the attributes of effective learning outcomes for your students. Please note that you will find different versions of the acronyms in the SMART goal model, but these are the ones CATL uses to discuss learning outcomes:

    • Specific – target a specific area, skill, or knowledge
    • Measurable – progress is quantifiable
    • Attainable – able to be achieved or realistic
    • Relevant – applicable to the students in the class
    • Time-based – achieved in a specific timeframe, such as a semester

Example: By the end of the semester (T), students will be able to diagram (M) the process of photosynthesis (S, A) in this biology class (R).

Learning outcomes are more likely to be meaningful if they can meet all of the qualifiers in the SMART acronym. Think specifics as you create your learning outcome. If you can’t tell if your learning outcome meets one of the qualifiers, you should rework it until it does.

Review your learning outcomes

Your next step as a team should be to review your learning outcomes. Compare them to the SMART model and Bloom’s Taxonomy or any other relevant model you might be using. If it helps, consider these examples. First, “Students will improve their understanding of passive voice.” On the surface, it might look like a reasonable goal, but then as you ask, “What does it mean to improve? Where did the student start from? When does this need to be done by?” This goal offers no answers to those questions.

How about this one? “By the end of the semester, all students will receive a 100% score on their math notation quiz.” For context, this is a Writing Foundations course. That begs the question, is this outcome relevant to this group of students? Is 100% a reasonable and attainable goal?

Consider these questions as a guide when creating SMART goals. A more reasonable goal for this group of writing students is that by the end of the semester, students will be able to identify and accurately and effectively use scholarly research in their writing projects 80% of the time. One part of the review process is ensuring your outcomes are SMART, but there are additional elements to consider, including the questions below.

  • Can you identify the verb in your learning outcome?
  • If your students master the skills in your learning outcomes, will they be satisfactorily prepared to go to another course that teaches the next level of this material?
  • If this is a course in a series, have you checked to be sure that your outcomes make sense with the previous and next courses?
  • Has your unit done curriculum mapping for its goals, and do your course outcomes align with that mapping?

Put it all together

Creating learning outcomes that reflect the learning necessary to achieve mastery in a course can be an arduous process. It should be a collaborative process as well. We encourage you to reach out to the CATL team if you would like guidance or help walking through Bloom’s Taxonomy and the SMART goal model. We are always available to help!

Resources on creating learning outcomes

Using the Lightboard (eGlass) to Create Engaging Videos

photo of the lightboard studio 505B doorway.

What is the Lightboard Recording Studio?

Kaltura Video Tutorial: eGlass (Lightboard) Basics

UWGB instructors and students can reserve and use the Lightboard (eGlass) studio located on the 5th floor of the Cofrin Library (CL 505 B). The lightboard functions like a transparent whiteboard. You write on one side of it, and a camera records you from the other side.

Potential Use Cases

The lightboard can be a valuable tool for presenting complex materials, such as mathematical formulas or diagrams. By allowing presenters to write or draw while explaining content, it provides helpful visuals that enhance understanding, making it ideal for engaging students and simplifying complex topics.

It can also be used to facilitate ‘flipped learning.’ In this case, students receive scaffolded instruction outside of the classroom and class time is then reserved for discussion or activities in which students apply concepts to further engage with the subject matter.

Tips for Before You Record

Before you record your video using the lightboard, consider the following planning tips:

  • Keep it short. Lightboard videos should be a single topic that can fit easily on a single board. If your video requires constant erasing, it is likely too long.
  • Organize your content. Develop a structured outline or script and rehearse your video beforehand to ensure preparedness and to streamline the recording process.
  • Practice writing before you record. Spacing can be an issue on the lightboard so it is a good idea to practice laying out any complex drawings or text that you want to use in your video ahead of time. You could practice on a whiteboard or on the lightboard itself before recording.
  • Clothing choice. Dark, solid colors (grey, navy, deep reds, etc.) are best. The markers you use for the board are neon colors and tend to blend in with light shades, becoming hard to read. Avoid wearing black so you don’t blend in with the background and don’t wear clothing with large logos or lettering (the writing/logo of your shirt will be flipped and might be a potential distraction in the video).

Tips for Recording Your Video

During the recording process, keep the following tips in mind to enhance the quality and effectiveness of your video.

  • Do a quick mic-check. Consider recording a quick 10-30 second video to ensure that the microphone, camera, lightboard brightness and settings are functioning properly.
  • Stay close to the eGlass lightboard. Stepping away from the board will reduce the amount of light that hits your face and may also affect the camera focus, making you appear blurry.
  • Try to leave room for yourself as you write on the glass. Be mindful of space as you draw and write on the board. Move to the side as you write and try to not cover your face with text.
  • Point and emphasize content. When you are speaking about something specific on the board, point to it, circle it, or underline it to draw attention to that specific item.
  • Look at the camera when recording. When you are not drawing or writing, address the camera as it represents your audience.
  • Have fun with it and enjoy the process! Having fun while making these videos will make for more engaging content.

Reserving the Room

Reserve and check out the room through the UWGB library reservation system.

  • Note: Please contact the UWGB IT Service Desk if you encounter technical difficulties with the studio computer or lightboard hardware.

Related Resources & Alternative Recording Methods

Teaching Strategy Spotlight – Escape Rooms Help Students See That Chemistry Doesn’t Have to Be Scary! 

a smiling woman with blonde hair wearing a black shirt
Breeyawn Lybbert, Associate Professor of Chemistry

Background

Professor Breeyawn Lybbert has been teaching at UWGB for the last 5 years. Professor Lybbert started at the UW Colleges in Manitowoc in 2014, after having worked previously at the University of Minnesota Morris. She went to the University of Minnesota for her bachelor’s degree and earned her PhD from UCLA. She has a special love of Organic Chemistry, which is also the focus of her dissertation.

Strategy

an office door covered in strips of caution tapeWhen Professor Lybbert began thinking about escape rooms, they were all the rage. She discovered an article in the Journal of Chemistry Education, which described, in detail, a Lab-Based Chemical Escape Room. The article describes a scenario in which four bombs are set to explode unless the chemists in the room are able to neutralize them. The scenario presented used the kinds of puzzles those familiar with escape rooms might be used to, but in order to solve these puzzles, chemistry knowledge would also come into play. This is what Professor Lybbert used as a guide to create her own physical escape room inside her classroom. More than just creating a fun activity, she created an environment designed to immerse her students in the escape room, complete with yellow caution tape, scary music, and a countdown timer. Her students get a full hour to work as a team to solve this puzzle.

a chemistry classroom with a counting down timer on a projector screen

Why Is It Important?

Professor Lybbert uses this activity in her Chem 109 class, a class that is not geared toward chemistry majors. The students who take this class are often anxious about the content of the class and their ability to master it. This activity comes at the end of the class and manages to demonstrate to students how much they’ve learned about chemistry, even with all of their apprehension. While the professor says students are often confused at the beginning of the exercise, they become invested and work together to solve the puzzles and escape. At the end of the escape room, they complete a survey of their thoughts on the experience, and the results have been overwhelmingly positive. They feel that it’s a nice way to round out a hard class.

How Does It Benefit Students?

manila envelopes and notebooks on a black tableStudents have the opportunity to use the knowledge they’ve gained throughout the course of the semester in a low-stakes (but heightened-intensity) lab activity that gives them the chance to reflect on their learning once the adrenaline has passed. Although not perfectly a real-world scenario, students do realize that they can use their knowledge when the time counts!

What Inspires Your Work?

Professor Lybbert says that her students’ reactions inspire her work. Students realize that they have mastered and applied knowledge and skills that likely seemed very daunting when they started her class. They realize through this activity that chemistry really isn’t so scary and that makes it worth it.

Want to Try It?

The resources below include the article that inspired Bree Lybbert, along with some other articles that link to puzzles and more tips for creating your own escape room.

Share with Your Colleagues

Do you have a strategy you’d like to share with your colleagues? Send a quick email to catl@uwgb.edu and we will follow up with you to create your teaching strategy spotlight! We would love to hear from you!