Five Tips for Incorporating Student-Created Videos in Your Classroom
October 04, 2019
At the Sept. 25 Midweek Mentor session, we heard from Oliver Dreon, Associate Professor and Director of the Center for Academic Excellence at Millersville University of Pennsylvania, about using student-created videos to assess learning and build classroom connections. Dr. Dreon offered great suggestions, such as looking to course objectives for opportunities to incorporate student videos, noting that outcomes involving students explaining concepts or reflecting on experiences might be good starting points. SIUE faculty in the audience also had tips for incorporating student-created videos; these are what I will share with you today.
- Start small.
Before students jump into a graded video activity, offer a scaled-down practice version where they can get used to the recording tools and build confidence speaking over video. Consider giving a bonus point or two for completion. - Demonstrate how the tool works.
If you want students to use a specific recording tool or software, consider creating a demonstration of yourself running through the steps. You might also browse the ITS Knowledgebase for video options and use the support resources here to give a how-to. - Show off high-achieving examples.
Even if you do not have prior student submissions to show off at first, think about creating an example that exemplifies the best work you could hope to receive. Once you start receiving actual student work, you might be surprised - as some faculty were in our last MidWeek mentor session - at the level of creativity and quality demonstrated. - Make it public (to your class, at least).
Just as top-notch examples might get students to aim high, so can submitting work “publically.” Consider making video assignments available for all class members to see in an area like Blackboard’s Discussion Board. As one faculty member has seen in his video assignments, submissions tend to get better and better as students see what is possible and what their peers are producing. - Rely on your support.
Your colleagues, your IT department, former students – all are potential supports for helping you understand some of the opportunities and barriers to incorporating student-created video into your class. If you are unsure where to start or have specific training needs, consider making an appointment with Instructional Design & Learning Technologies to learn more.
Are you using student videos in your classes? What strategies and tools have helped you do this effectively? What pitfalls might you help others avoid? Please share your thoughts in the comments!
Categories: All Categories, Students, Videos, Classroom
