Six Tips for Effective Lecture Videos

Research shows that the time spent in synchronous online or in-person class sessions is best used to discuss, clarify, analyze or expand upon the lecture's content. Creating lecture videos for asynchronous homework assignments opens up that valuable live class session time.

Please login to one.sjsu.edu to view How to Write a Script (4 minutes) on LinkedIn Learning.

Research shows short (3-5 minute) videos are best as they lessen cognitive overload and can be digested more easily. Plus, many students learn-on-the-go and these micro-lesson videos can be viewed in between activities, work commitments, or family duties.

In the article, Facilitating or hindering learning - a meta-analysis of acceleration on video learning you'll find an overview of Cognitive Load Theory, The Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning and recommendations.

Keep your tone similar to the tone you use in front of the class.

Look straight into the camera to mimic eye contact. It will help create connection between you and your viewers.

Ask questions throughout the video. You can build these questions into your script and pause briefly for students to think about them. Or after recording the video, you can add questions that pop up on the screen using Panopto Video Quizzes.

If you plan to use the video again, avoid saying the date/semester/year.

It may seem simple, but it's not always easy to remember. To avoid a "slip-up", use a script to plan what you will say. 

Also, avoid referring to current events, too. 

Including edited/corrected captions in all videos you share is one way to adhere to accessibility standards. It is an essential step as it aligns with federal and state laws and CSU policy.

Upload your video to Panopto and the captions will be automatically generated. Then edit the captions so they're 100% accurate. 

You can also use YouTube's automatic captioning feature but the captions aren't as correct as Panopto's, so it is more time consuming to correct the captions.

All captions must be 100% accurate to adhere to accessibility standards.

Think of the variety of ways students view course content whether it be while commuting on a noisy bus, while washing dishes, running on the treadmill or studying in a location with low-bandwidth. Giving them options to access the content is essential.

Let students know there is a downloadable transcript in the captions tab in Panopto. Select the arrow in the top right corner of the captions tab.The captions must first be edited to be 100% accurate. The transcript is created based off the captions.