For many teachers, online classes begin with a live recording of their lectures or lessons. Sending the recorded lectures to the students allows them to pause the video and rewatch it multiple times.
Recording lectures before class can assist lecturers in filling gaps that may arise due to your absence. You don't have to worry about missing lessons if you're going on vacation or to be sick for an extended time.
You can keep the class continuing even if you are absent by using pre-recorded lectures and sending the file to the class, so they know the lesson. With the help of an online lecture software or tool available on the internet, you can download it free.
These are the steps in creating an instructional video in your classes:
In this article
Know Your Target Audience
Before you record the video to present in your classes, you need to know your target audience. We all know that some teachers handle grade school, and some handle high school level. We need to discover what kind of knowledge or skills your students hope to gain in your class learning the topic you presented. Try to use your book, or maybe add some research and then use that information to help you discuss with your students.
Things you need to remember before you proceed to the next step:
- Who is your audience? We, educators, already know our audience. It depends on the school and what level we are going to handle. It's either grade school level or high school level.
- What is your topic/s? There are a lot of topics and subjects in the field of teaching but try to pick only one topic or subject to present to your class. For example, Computer Subject because I'm a computer teacher. I will be using this subject or topic about computers to create my instructional video for the class.
- What is the learning objective or learning outcome of your video? The learning objective of your video is the outcome that captures precisely what knowledge, skills, and attitudes the students should be able to exhibit following the instructions.
- How will your video benefit your audience? The students will learn and understand the lesson you are discussing, helping them gain knowledge of that subject to answer all the assignments, quizzes, or maybe an activity you will give them.
Write a Script
Once you know your audience and have the topic you need, it's time to write a script. Think about your plan for presenting your video in your classes.
- Here are a few more writing script tips to help you in your classes:
Go to the mirror and practice. This tip may help some teachers instead of calling their loved ones and getting feedback about the script they write.
- Explain what you're doing and why you're doing it. You are not only presenting the topic and explaining it but also showing the class what the topic is all about, which will be suitable for your students. Present some examples, pictures, or videos for them to know better what your discussion is all about.
- Knowing your script 100% is important. Make sure that you already know your script before you record. If you forget something or make a mistake, go back to the beginning and repeat it correctly. Remember as a teacher that we are not allowed to make mistakes in the eyes of the students. So, double-check everything before you record it and show it to the class.
Record the Narration
After writing your script, let's try to record the narration. You don't need any application software where you can record the narration. Simply using your mobile phone and having a good background is enough.
Using a microphone to record the narration is necessary. Getting those headphones with one connected microphone is good. Some of that has noise cancellation, providing a much better sound quality while recording and ensuring that your videos don't contain background noise. Then, find a quiet place to record. Explain to your family members that no one will ever talk loud or shout while you are recording the narration.
Once you are ready to hit that record button, speak clearly. Nobody is perfect, so it's ok if you make a mistake. You don't need to start over, just pause and start again. You can remove the error or mistake by editing your finished product. Make sure your narration will be the same on the screen while recording your video.
Record and Edit your Video
The first thing you need to do in recording your video is to clean up your computer screen and close all the unnecessary applications. You need to turn off also the notifications that will pop up on your computer before you start recording. You can also add your recorded narration to your video.
Here are a few simple tips for editing your video:
- Add some interactive elements like motions to highlight key points of your video.
- Adding music to your video is optional but may elevate a decent video to the next level. Pick something cheery. You want your audience to feel good while learning.
The Video Duration
I'd say it's one of the first things students look at before they click the 'play' button of the video. It will benefit both teacher and the students if the video is brief and direct to the point. Some students are more likely to want a short video, or maybe let's focus on the time between 20 - 30 minutes video, where they can watch and learn on any platform, anytime. After that, you can add time by adding other pieces of information and giving activities and assignments.
Be Yourself
Be yourself, and don't be afraid to make mistakes sometimes. Make sure that your personality shines throughout the video. Try to research how some teachers or maybe some speakers speak naturally and have a conversational manner with an enthusiastic tone.
When you are recording yourself talking, look right at the camera so students can feel eye contact with you, even if it is online. Sometimes we forget the words we need to say to the class, so try to prepare a note next to your webcam. The messages you prepare will help you don't look away from the camera all the time. Don't pretend to the class that you're reading something, just talk naturally as you would in real classrooms.
Sharing your Video
Instead of sharing your recorded video with your students, you can also share it directly to online video platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Vimeo or save the video as a local file to upload on a social media platform. They can go there and watch the video. You can also upload your file to the school learning management system like Google Classroom. Please take note of this; before sending the recorded video to your students, share it with first to a few people to get some video feedback about what you created. This might help you ensure that your message is clear and that your video accomplishes your goals for your students.
There's a chance that your recorded video doesn't meet your requirements or you are not satisfied with that for the first time. Don't worry; try it again, even if you recorded it once or several times. You need to trust yourself by doing it because we are teachers; we are doing our best for the students to learn something from us.
