Usually, our blog posts focus on content for students. But today, we wanted to make a video specifically for teachers and tutors who are now navigating the world of online education. It’s not easy to create online education, so we’ve assembled some of our best tips and tricks that we’ve learned from making educational videos on Youtube for the past few years.
So today, we are focusing on how to create high quality content that will keep your students engaged.
MIT did an empirical study in 2014 on how video production affects student engagement. From that study, three key tips can be concluded:
Tip 1: Shoot at a desk and not at a whiteboard
The MIT study recommends teachers film their lessons at a desk. The study found that when teachers were sitting at a desk, the videos were more engaging and personal.
Tip 2: Intersperse talking with slides
Part of engaging students is finding that key balance between talking to your students and showing your students slides with information. It’s a tricky combination to master. Khan Academy is well known for only using slides and voiceover. But the MIT study found that combining video of teachers speaking along with slides, or putting both yourself and the slides on the screen at the same time (which is what we do on our Youtube videos) was most effective.
Tip 3: Freehand writing is more engaging than pre-done slides
To do this, you will need some sort of software to display your material and write on the material at the same time. The software we like to use is called *Notability.
Highlighting and scribbling on your slides draws students in and keeps them engaged even when they’re not in the room with you. If you’re looking for a good pen tablet to do freehand notes on, we at Supertutor use a *Wacom tablet.
USC Study
A separate study from USC analyzed the importance of sound quality in videos. The study, called Good Sound, Good Research, found that people’s perception on the truth and authority of the video is directly linked to the sounds quality of the video. This leads into our fourth tip:
Tip 4: Use High Quality Microphones and Webcams
If the sound and video quality of your video is high definition, it is more likely to engage listeners. Listeners will be more likely to believe what you are saying. This is essential for teaching students.
While at Supertutor we use professional camera and sound equipment, you don’t need professional equipment to improve your video quality. Buying a high quality USB microphone or webcam is not an expensive purchase. Even cheap ones are better than the ones built into your computer. These add ons will create more authority in your videos.
An Uncertain Future
Our entire country has been flipped upside down. And fall 2020 is likely to still be online. So it’s important educators follow these tips and tricks in order to create the best learning environment for your students.
*note: we are not sponsored by any of the products we mentioned, we are just fans.
