Barbara Dieu

I have just received this invite from Kaltura. Some of you may be interested in attending this webinar, which takes place today.

Kaltura Inspire  Webinar: Enhance Your Online Learning Environment with Video  Tuesday, January 24, 2012 2:00 PM-3:00 PM EST

http://corp.kaltura.com/webinars/live/enhance-your-online-learning-environment-video-0

In the face of the rich media revolution, educational institutions are using video to power every aspect of campus life. The challenge is finding media infrastructure that is agile, scalable, and cost effective. More universities are using video internally and externally for teaching and learning, distance learning and hybrid instruction, training, enhancing assignments, and as a means of collaboration between students and faculty.
 
This webinar will explore how video and new forms of multimedia-enabled learning are revolutionizing education across the country.  Video in education now goes beyond simple publishing and includes internal university 'YouTubes', deep learning management system integrations, creating a central media repository, collaborative video assignments, video for distance education and libraries, and media-powered blogs and social networks.
 
Join our panelists - Cornell University, Oregon State University, and Kaltura video experts - to learn about online video projects that have been deployed, hear about the challenges and current best practices, and have your questions answered during Q&A.

Panelists:
Andy Page - Manager, Video Collaboration Services, Cornell University
Raul Burriel - Streaming Media Coordinator, Oregon State University
Cindy Yates - Managing Director Education, Kaltur

Just as speaking professionally to live audiences requires public speaking skills, using the recorded medium online has its own particularities. As we increasingly engage in different modes of communication outside the traditional classroom, I'd think it is important we become more aware and make people aware of what it takes to communicate effectively in these different situations. I'm not an expert but try to get more informed about it, the do's and don'ts and adapt them to my particular context.

Video online, although it looks deceptively easy to make with the present technology, is particularly complex as it demands not only appropriate tools, extensions, codecs and what not, for capturing and editing sound + image but it also involves the speaker (or speakers) who should use the skills needed to transmit the message and motivate the intended (absent) audience + a camera operator, who should know which filming techniques are to be used to enhance the message and not create the opposite effect.

Big mistakes in any of these areas represent a nightmare in the post production phase as editing becomes very difficult if not impossible. Better prevent them from happening or at least minimize them during the pre-production and production phase.

How do you decide how long your clips will be?

All depends on your aim: who the video is directed at, what you'd like people to focus on most. When you mention previous context, this means extensive viewing so different strategies and techniques will be used.

In intensive viewing, I'd say conciseness is important as it equals clarity of thought. There is a need for precise language and control of the technique so the video is smooth and the message to the point.

 

 

 

 

 

The cooking video project I referred to in the introductions forum, for instance, emerged in class when the kids themselves asked whether we could have a cooking class at the school cafeteria to prepare the recipes they had read about or favourites they brought from home. I told them I could not do it with the whole class for safety reasons but suggested they make a video of themselves in pairs preparing a recipe at home, which would count for an extra mark.

I work with young kids (12/13 year olds),  whose language is not English,  so it is crucial for them to have the task, preparation steps clearly defined and explained, the criteria for evaluation shown and discussed beforehand. 

When they agreed to doing the project and we set the deadlines, I gave them the steps (task, plan, vocabulary to priviledge, evaluation criteria) and also offered extra help after class for those who did not feel comfortable or had some kind of problem with the software (very few).

could not get together during the weeked but came with the solution of producing parts of the video separately and later editing them and putting them together at school.

The overall result (see the links to various videos at the bottom of the page) in terms of language and performance went beyond my expectation. They were proud of their productions and most enjoyed the whole project immensely. The kids also brought the food to class and shared them with their colleagues. (See photos) 

, spurred by the comments on his YouTube page, opened a blog to continue posting video recipes (no marks there - just sheer enjoyment). 

Long time no hear ,Sus. Good to have news from you and read about the video activities you engage with your "very individual learners". It must be a joy and very revealing to be able to follow them this way. Alas, no grandchildren on this side of the world yet so I stick to my students for the time being :-)