With 70% of YouTube viewers showing interest in educational content, it is safe to say that learning and teaching have definitely revolutionized in the past few years. Using video for teaching and learning is slowly becoming a norm, and why wouldn’t it?
For learners, it helps improve learning retention, enhances engagement, and encourages self-initiated study. These videos also make learning easily accessible.
Similarly, teachers can create their own video content and make it reach millions of students worldwide. Learning videos also give tutors the authority to create courses at their own pace and provide them with a medium to engage with their students.
If you are an educator, using video for teaching and learning may become a breakthrough step in your career. Here are a few best practices for making effective videos for teaching and learning.
Creating videos for teaching and learning involves crafting visually appealing, engaging, and informative videos for educational purposes. By using effective techniques like storytelling, clear explanations, and incorporating interactive elements, video learning helps establish effective experiences for both students and educators alike.
According to a report, over 46% of Internet users between the ages of 16 and 24 watch online tutorials and other learning videos.
What does it tell us?
Video content for teaching and learning is not only accessible and affordable, but it also ensures that new knowledge is easily acquired. This information may not be readily available in traditional learning resources.
Using video for teaching and learning helps save ample time, both for teachers and learners. Gone are the days when you had to spend hours finding the right book for your course in a library. Today, all you have to do is type the keyword on a search engine and find relevant video content.
Besides, nothing is more enjoyable than teaching thousands of learners at once. Imagine sitting behind a camera to make videos and publishing them on different channels, only to have them globally viewed by so many people.
The feeling is truly magical!
Learners opt for videos for many reasons. Some of those include:
While students have many good reasons to learn online through videos, educators also benefit immensely from this medium. For instance,
However, for your video to succeed, you must follow the best practices. These rules are followed by thousands of educators worldwide to reach the maximum number of students and spread knowledge hassle-free.
To leverage video for teaching and learning, try following the tips below and generate maximum output.
According to experts, your educational video should ideally be less than 12 minutes long and no more than 20 minutes long. You may have much to add to your video content, but keeping it short and concise is a golden rule for elevating engagement.
It may be challenging for you to do that, so here are a few tricks:
Look at this short video featuring a ChatGPT 4 tutorial for beginners.
It is an 11-minute video with visuals and examples. See the amazing number of views it has received. The script is to the point but easily covers all the relevant information without rushing.
Visuals can definitely amp up your teaching videos. They help enhance engagement and make it easy to understand concepts.
For instance, you can include diagrams, charts, and images in your content. Additionally, you can combine real-world examples with static images to retain your viewers’ attention.
When using visuals, ensure to take care of a few things:
Here is a teaching video by Khan Academy on the Ample Reserves Regime. The topic is tough, but a few easy graphs make the whole concept look so simple.
Taking the above practice a step ahead, you can boost your video for teaching and learning by adding animations to the content. Transitions or animations in your video help clarify even the most abstract ideas quite smartly.
However, if you choose to incorporate animations in your content, ensure that:
This video on a tutorial based on Animating Characters is a true example of a great bond between content and animations. It is filled with great music and fun animations timed appropriately.
Similarly, the ABC phonics video by a YouTube educator, Tora the Teacher, also brilliantly uses animations. Since the video is aimed at younger viewers, all animations are simple.
Here is another video that truly defines the brilliant role of successful animations in online learning content. The “Why Do We Get Old?” video uses colorful characters with narration to attract young people to learn new things.
Boost your video for teaching and learning by adding quizzes, activities, or discussions to your content. This trick helps reinforce learning while keeping your students engaged.
To effectively incorporate this point in your content, consider the following:
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If you want to show your face and voice in your learning video, do it with full commitment. Teaching can be tough, but your voice and enthusiasm can be a great way to keep your audience interested in your content, even if they are thousands of miles away.
Your speaking rate and tone can almost double your student's engagement. Therefore, keep your voice natural but conversational.
Additionally, use simple words when communicating a complex topic. Use terms that anyone can easily grasp instead of using heavy words to sound fancy.
Don't speak too slowly, but keep the pace easily understandable. Ensure your students don't have to revisit your video repeatedly to understand a statement.
Megan Forbes is a teacher who guides students in learning history. While her videos are long, take a look at how she uses a simple and interactive tone to keep her audience engrossed. Her video, How to Teach Historical Fiction Literature Circles, is a great example of speaking well in a learning video.
Also, notice how she dresses well and looks presentable. These things are important to make your audience feel welcome when they click on your content to view it.
As an educator, your solid content would help your learners succeed any day. However, sometimes, you may have to go further to prove all the facts you may have mentioned in your video. This practice also helps the learners access content outside the video for cross-referencing.
So, if it is possible, add a link to support material in your video for teaching and learning descriptions to help your students learn more. You can also mention the context of this extra supportive data in your video so your learners can access it easily.
For example, if you create a video about photosynthesis, you could include a link to a detailed diagram of the process or a research article on recent discoveries in plant biology. In your video, you might say, “Check out the diagram linked in the description to see each step of photosynthesis in detail.” You may also provide citations for students to learn more about the subject on their own. CrashCourse has done this in their video on photosynthesis.
Other than making your videos more trustworthy, this simple move would help you gain two more things:
Real-life context transforms abstract ideas into something students can connect with their world. When learners see concepts applied in familiar settings, comprehension improves, and ideas stick with them longer.
Videos that show practical scenarios help bridge the divide between theory and application. A strong example of this approach comes from Khan Academy. In its math and economics videos, real-world scenarios like budgeting, shopping discounts, or loan interest calculations are used to explain formulas and theories.
Educators can apply the same method by presenting lessons in familiar experiences. For example, a science teacher might explain energy transfer using household appliances.
Language instructors often use workplace conversations or daily routines to teach grammar and vocabulary. These scenarios give learners a reason to care about the topic. Real-life examples also encourage critical thinking. Students begin asking how concepts apply beyond the lesson, which enhances engagement.
A video for teaching and learning can be your best tool to reach a large number of students at a time. Also, they can help you earn with all the hard work you may put into creating them.
However, it is not as easy as it may sound. Videos that are short, visually appealing, interactive, and supported by written materials gain more views than those that are not. This article has shared 7 best video practices you can incorporate into your teaching and learning content.
Remember to never compromise the quality of your content. Create genuine videos, double-check your facts, and post them on the right platforms so they reach the right audiences. For this, you might need the assistance of a video production company. If this is the case, a dedicated video marketing agency like INDIRAP can help.
We help educators and learning-focused organizations create video content that educates and connects to audiences. From animated explainer videos to social-first content and paid campaigns, every project is built to support growth. Book a strategy call with us to see how high-performance video can support your teaching, learning, and growth objectives.
Educational videos combine visuals, narration, and examples, making abstract ideas easier to grasp. When students can see processes unfold step by step, comprehension improves, and concepts become less intimidating.
Tutorials, explainer videos, recorded lectures, and scenario-based lessons perform well. It’s best to create short videos with clear objectives to keep learners engaged and prevent cognitive overload.
Videos of teaching can be adapted to almost any subject by tailoring visuals and examples to the topic. So, you can create videos for any topic, regardless of complexity.
You can post educational videos on YouTube, learning management systems (LMS), online course sites, and private platforms. The choice of platform for educational content will depend on your audience and whether interaction or monetization is a priority.
Videos for teaching and learning help educators scale their impact and build reusable resources. You can also maintain consistent instructions while giving students flexible access to knowledge, even outside traditional classrooms.
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