Motion Elements

Consider the use of animation and video to bring content alive.

For instance, the YouTube video on the right provides a great introduction to how wikis work.

Ideas for Integration

• Demonstrations
• Language Learning
• Lectures
• Step-by-Step Instructions, How Tos
• Virtual Field Trips

Existing Video Content

• Pros of using existing video content
  • Adds interest to a class
  • Brings in experts on a particular topic. For instance, you can watch Robert Marzano discussion learning goals and objectives.
  • Contributes another face to the classroom to draw interest
  • Provides access to nationally produced video and resources
• Cons of using existing video content
  • Content may not meet your needs exactly
  • Websites can disappear, so you'll want to download the videos as a back-up

Original Video Content

• Pros of using original video content
  • Personal connection with class
  • Addresses instructional needs
  • Connect to local content
  • Reflects your teaching style
  • Voice over images is easy
• Cons of using existing video content
  • Production takes time
  • Talking heads can be boring
• Design Effective Video
  • Design a tight, focused script.
  • Incorporate interviews.
  • Weaving in still images to avoid long sections of talking heads
  • Use simple text to emphasize key points
  • Include footage from real-world settings
  • Provide lots of examples
  • Use text and still images to review key concepts.
  • Watch Universal Design of Instruction for an example.

PowerPoint Slides

PowerPoint slides can be very boring. Think about ways to spice things up through the use of charts, graphs, photos, audio, and other elements.

Look at the slide on the right. How could you "spice it up" so that the content is more engaging?

Suggestions:

• Provide directions for use of video clips.
• Provide details about the file type, length, and required plug-ins.
  • Examples: Life Long Learning
• Keep clips short and to the point.
• Consider providing a transcript.
• Use a consistent format throughout the course.
• Find sources of video at the following websites:
  • Multimedia Seeds: Video
• Online websites occasionally disappear. If you plan to use videos from the web, consider downloading and serving them from your closed web server. Use tools such as ZamZar to download video from YouTube.

An increasing number of faculty are sharing their video work online. Use the following starting points for ideas:

• YouTube Education. This channel contains videos from educational institutions around the world. For channels related to specific universities, go to YouTube EDU. Do searches for the names of key people in your field.
• ITunes U. When you open iTunes you'll find this option across the menu bar. Many of the over 250,000 course materials are free. Search for the category of Teaching & Education. Look for Edutopia's series on Social and Emotional Learning. Also look for the Research Channel for K-12 Education.
• Edutopia Video. Great education videos.
• Learner.org. Excellent professional development materials form Annenberg Media. Explore their workshop list.
• Research Channel. Provides over 3500 titles from programs from around the world.
• TED. Contains lots of videos. Do a search for education.
• UCTV. Contains many videos on education topics including the Berkeley Center for Studies in Higher Education.

Explore how video is used in the following courses:

• Introduction to Robotics - demonstration videos

• Aircraft Systems Engineerings - Video lectures and Demonstration - video(s)
• Anthropology of Middle East - Special feature-video: Merchant of Art Video
• Architecture Studio: Building in Landscapes - Selected video lectures
• Atmosphere, Ocean and Climate Dynamics - Demonstration - video(s): Lab Experiments (explore within to find embedded links to video clips)
• Chinese VI (Regular): Discovering Chinese Cultures and Societies - Special feature - video(s)
• Differential Equations - Video lectures
• Electricity and Magnetism - Video lectures
• Electromagnetics and Applications - Demonstration - video(s)
• Exploring Black Holes: General Relativity & Astrophysics - Selected video lectures
• Introduction to Biology - Video lectures
• Introduction to Copyright Law - Video lectures
• Introduction to Solid State Chemistry - Video lectures
• Introduction to Visual Arts- Selected video lectures
• Linear Algebra - Video lectures
• Listening, Speaking, and Pronunciation (Foreign Languages and Literatures - Selected video lectures
• Media, Education and the Marketplace - Special feature - video(s): ESL Training
• Physics I: Classical Mechanics - Video lectures with fun demonstrations
• Principles of Chemical Science - Video lectures
• SCUBA - Selected video lectures: Lecture Notes (streaming & downloadable video clips)
• Sensing Place: Photography as Inquiry - Selected video lectures
• Tennis - Demonstration video(s)
• Weight Training - Demonstration video(s)

Explore how animation is used:

• Chemistry Animations by D. Brooks, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• Solute Transport - animations from Groundwater Hydrology course

Explore Examples
The Media Center at the New York Public Library provides video, audio clips, and other multimedia materials including Blogs, Videos & Publications. Explore some of their programs. How could these types of experiences be incorporated into an online learning program?

Check out a few of the online video lectures at Open Yale Courses from Yale University. Consider the program length and effectiveness of the instruction. Do you prefer entire video lectures or shorter video clip sections?

Learn more about Video and Animation from High Tech Learning.

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