Steven Crawford, Director of the Maricopa Center for Learning and Innovation, presented earlier this month as part of the Quality Matters Research Online Conference. Crawford discussed uses of audio to provide information as announcements as well as feedback while being able to transmit some emotion. Interviews using audio can be done over the web or using a phone audio recording app. This is one use of audio I have not explored yet and have been interested in using. Audio recordings typically do not require extensive production and can be shared. Voiceover presentations can be created directly from PowerPoint and can be helpful for explaining concepts and terminology. Screen casting is powerful for demonstrating software or approaches and providing feedback on student work. Video presentations were described by Crawford as the most complex and typically used. Crawford explained how now most phones can capture high-quality video. Crawford emphasized the importance of planning.
Crawford talked about research on the use of video in higher education. The novelty effect was described as the wow factor because of post production or video editing… yet the educational content may not be accessible to students. Crawford described research that suggests there isn’t a significant difference between student engagement when comparing highly produced videos and the more real DIY versions. Crawford reviewed that instructor-produced video can have “a positive and moderate influence on student satisfaction” for asynchronous courses. Videos can help build community, approachability of instructors, and engagement. However, videos may be watched instead of reviewing the slides, for example. Crawford mentioned that lab videos used to prepare students for lab sessions tend to be watched more earlier in the semester and then views drop off. Length of videos is critical with students choosing to watch videos based on length and time available. Interestingly, Crawford mentioned the importance of including video duration information to help student time management can help increase engagement! Participants in one study (70%) were more likely to watch a video with a time stamp! One study Crawford mentioned looking at MOOCs suggested that even chunking long videos may not result in more students watching. Crawford suggests aiming for six minute chunks based on individual ideas. Chunking also provides opportunities for including self-checks between segments. Crawford did mention that we have the ability to watch long movies, and that we must consider these have edutainment elements designed to capture attention. Research presented by Crawford suggests students want to see you in videos maybe at the beginning and end. However, having a talking head throughout the video in one study was distracting for students. In one study the talking head on the screen reduced attention by 30%! Cognitive load is an issue that must be considered. Crawford mentioned that students want to see demonstrations. In Khan Academy, you see the writing in real-time. In lab, Crawford mentioned that full body shots are not necessary: highlight key information to key students’ focus on important information. Another question addressed by Crawford was one I had not considered: should you include students tutoring each other in your videos? According to Crawford’s review of the research, the answer is maybe. Having two students, for example, asking questions and working with the instructors may help promote discussion and encourage students to try harder. Crawford described this as having scenes of conflict to demonstrate to viewers the challenges of the techniques and motivate to put in the effort and ask questions! Crawford also described a study comparing a studio-produced welcome video to one of the instructor in an office. Students found the office video more welcoming. While video production may not be critical, audio quality is, as emphasized by Crawford. Suggestions offered included minimizing unnecessary distractions in the background.
The last part of the presentation discussed the importance of captioning. Crawford mentioned an upcoming article for Quality Matters that they authored. Research indicates that hearing students use the captions in public transportation and other settings, for example. Captions can also help students get back on track after a brief distraction. I had never considered this! Captions, as emphasized by Crawford, are useful for all users! Accuracy is critical, though. Repairing and editing captions should be part of our workflow. The last couple of minutes addressed the complexity of having cameras on during synchronous sessions and the privacy considerations. One important and often overlooked point Crawford made was that the videos feeds from participants can be distracting to others. I look forward to reading Crawford’s articles and learning more tips.
