Create Multimedia

Video Development

Similar to multimedia resources, when creating or using video there are some guidelines you should follow.

Purpose – Introduce each video to your students.  Describe the purpose of the video with a few sentences or a paragraph.  The overview can be written or verbal.  This will help prepare your learners as they integrate new information with prior knowledge.

Length – Remember chunking and segmenting?  The same concepts apply with videos.  Several brief videos will be more effective than a long video.  Aim for videos no longer than 5 minutes. If shorter videos aren't possible, try to keep the maximum length of each video to 15 – 20 minutes.  Videos that are too long will result in disengaged students.

Active Learning – For some students, watching a video may  feel like a passive activity.  To engage students more actively, provide a guide that allows them to examine the most important aspects of the content.  At times, these guides may be knowledge based.  However, you should try to create questions which allow practical application of student learning.  These may be graded or ungraded activities. 

Kaltura – USU uses Kaltura which is a video storage and streaming.  It allows videos and presentations to be closed captioned (with help from the DRC - email captions@usu.edu) and embedded into Canvas pages, including announcements.  For more information about this resource, visit our Kaltura (My Media) page page. 

Existing Resources – You don’t always need to create your own instructional resources.  There are numerous videos available through book publishers and the internet.  As you evaluate these resources, ensure they enhance the learning process.  As stated previously, include a purpose, monitor the length, provide an activity to actively engage students with the content, and ensure it is accessible through closed captioning.

Best Practices

Below are some strategies to help you make a quality educational video:

  • Be yourself
  • Align each video to learning outcomes
  • Keep videos brief
  • Use a good microphone
  • Control excess noise
  • Practice & Rehearse
  • Ensure picture is clear and in focus
  • Eliminate clutter and visual distractions

For additional details and best practices visit Recording Online Lectures