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Using Professionally Produced Video Lectures

Lesson 5 Failure Mechanisms part 3 video (27:09 min)

Credit: T. Palmer © Penn State is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

A presentation recorded in the studio produces a polished resource that can be used to share knowledge and content and provide an opportunity for students to review the material as often as needed to ensure comprehension. Professor Todd Palmer has recorded all his lectures for a course on Materials Science. Viewers can see the presentation and the instructor along with the laser pointer motion directing student attention. Slides are shown full screen if there is hard-to-see detail, but otherwise, the instructor is present in the video so that students can see facial expressions and gestures and form a connection with the instructor. The demonstrated intellectual mastery inspires confidence in the instructor’s knowledge. Online and hybrid course applications are obvious, but this practice can also be used in a residential course for topics that benefit from review or when an instructor is traveling. Additionally, video may be assigned for viewing outside of resident class time in order to reserve some class time for engagement in active learning.

This technique is best undertaken by dynamic presenters who create and hone lectures to present foundational information in a highly organized and inspirational format.

Considerations

Accessibility

  • Captioning is required, and transcripts allow students to read content instead of, or in addition to, viewing.  
  • Audio descriptions of the visuals might be needed if accommodation is requested.
     

Other

  • If you have a lot of content, consider breaking videos into short segments.  
  • Anything an instructor shows on a computer can be shown on the screen. For example, programming software, images, annotations or presentation software in addition to PowerPoint.    
  • Working with a videographer will produce high-quality, professional results. 

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