AN INSTRUCTOR-FRIENDLY GUIDE TO CREATING AND ASSESSING VIDEOS FOR GEOSCIENCE COURSES

Four years ago, we began creating short instructional videos for an introductory Physical Geology course. While we had little prior experience in creating videos, previous research provided us with some principles for effective multimedia design. Our videos follow a standard format that begins with communicating clear learning objectives to the viewer. Videos feature conversational narration with a mix of concise text, images, demonstrations, and assessments. We add closed captioning to all videos. Our research demonstrates that these videos are more successful in promoting student learning than equivalent passages from textbooks and are just as effective as instructor-moderated face-to-face teaching in classes. Our Geoscience Videos YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/c/geosciencevideos) has received over a million views and instructors tell us they have incorporated the videos into many types of introductory geoscience courses.

Based on our experiences, we offer some basic suggestions for instructors who are considering creating their own short (<7 minutes) videos. 1. Identify no more than one or two learning objectives for each video. 2. Start by writing a script. It does not have to be long; our narration averages about 150 words per minute and most scripts are under 1000 words. 3. Build a storyboard that breaks the script into manageable chunks and identify useful images (ideally in the public domain) to accompany the narration. 4. Use one or more images to illustrate each piece of information, rather than a single image and several points. As we have gained experience, we have added more visuals and recent videos typically feature more than four images/slides per minute. 5. Build your video using familiar formats and tools. For example, we use PowerPoint to organize our presentations and incorporate images and video clips as needed. 6. We occasionally appear in the videos to personalize the learning experience for our students. However, we avoid including “talking heads” or narrators who remain on camera in an effort to minimize distraction and keep the focus on the content. 7. Finally, we suggest using software for video editing and production that is relatively straightforward. For us that was Camtasia but there are several free or inexpensive programs available.