With more than one billion learning videos viewed on YouTube, 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. 

What Is Video 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 survey, approximately 46% of female internet users from the ages of 16 to 24 watched online learning-related videos in the third quarter of 2023. Similarly, in the same period, around 45% of male internet users watched video content to learn online. 

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!

Benefits of Using Video for Learning

Learners opt for videos for many reasons. Some of those include:

• Perfect for Visual Learners. Videos with animations or simply visually striking content ensure in-depth learning without distractions. Such content also helps grab the attention of learners for a long time. 
• Support for Independent Learning. If students struggle to concentrate in class, online videos are a solid medium for learning concepts at their own pace. 
• Increase Students' Learning Capacity. Engaging content with music, animations, or visuals helps improve memory, allowing students to retain knowledge for a long time. 
• Flexibility. The ability to access knowledge with video content whenever and wherever you like is truly remarkable. 
• Simplicity. Certain videos demonstrate experiments or processes that may be difficult to understand through audio or written content. 
• Ideal Duration. Most educational videos aren't long. This makes students feel less intimidated by new concepts and learn in short, engaging bursts. 
• Personalization. Online videos have an element of personalization. Students have full control over the type of video they may want to watch and for how long. 

Benefits of Using Video for Teaching

While students have many good reasons to learn online through videos, educators also benefit immensely from this medium. For instance, 

• Captivate Learner’s Attention. With intriguing video content, you can grab your learner’s attention. This helps foster active participation and make learning enjoyable. 
• Cover Complex Topics. Videos help educators cover even the most complex topics easily. With the use of visuals and animations, you can enhance effective content delivery, covering more topics in a short time. 
• Versatility. The great thing about video teaching is that it can be presented in various ways. For instance, you can incorporate pre-recorded videos with new ones to save time. 
• Feedback Collection. Videos serve as a platform for feedback. As an educator, you can use this medium to address misunderstandings and also receive an assessment of your teaching style.  

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. 

6 Best Practices for Leveraging Videos for Teaching and Learning

To leverage video for teaching and learning, try following the tips below and generate maximum output. 

1. Keep Your Video Short

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: 

• Focus on key points only and prioritize them in your video content. Try covering these areas within ten minutes in your video so you don’t miss out on the important content or rush them later. 
• Make sure to curate a script first and then film your video. This will allow you to easily create structured content. 
• Don't repeat your information. Again, a written script would help you avoid that. 
• Break a complex topic into several parts. The segmentation makes it easy for your viewers to absorb information. 

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. 

2. Incorporate Visuals in Your Videos 

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:

• Back them with a simple narration so your learners can easily understand the reason behind putting a graph or image. 
• Add text, audio descriptions, or captions to ensure accessibility for all, including those with visual impairments.
• Ensure all visuals used are clear and simple. They shouldn’t overpower the real topic that you wish to teach. 

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. 

3. Animations Are Game-Changer Components

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:

• All the animations should support the video's objective. Adding moving visuals just for the sake of fun will not work.
• Cluttered animation is a no-no. They may add to your students’ confusion and give them a reason to shift to another educator’s channel. Therefore, pick animations that are easy to comprehend. 
• Consistency is key. If you have designed an animated character for your video, present it in the same way throughout the video. This is imperative to design a cohesive visual experience. 
• Each animation should sync effortlessly with your content. This helps reinforce all the main points effectively. 

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.  

4. Add Quizzes, Activities, or Discussions in Your Video 

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: 

• Add the questions at the right time in the video. They could be either in the middle of your video or at the end. 
• Pick the type of quizzes you want to add. Choose a format that aligns with the nature of your video, including a multiple-question, true/false, or fill-in-the-blank. 
• Provide feedback after your students have enough time to develop a suitable answer. Explain the right response properly and encourage further research. 

5. Speak With Enthusiasm and Look Presentable 

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. 

6. Link Your Videos to Support Material

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. 

Other than making your videos more trustworthy, this simple move would help you gain two more things: 

• You may observe an increase in your views.
• If your linked support materials are from renowned platforms, you may get recognized for mentioning them, resulting in bigger partnerships for your video channel. 

Wrapping Up

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 6 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.