Activity Packet - 10 Steps / 5 Days

FLO MicroCourse: Make your course intro Video

Overview

This course take place over 5 days, with a bit of spill over into the weekend to tie up loose ends. The idea is to provide a supportive environment for you to ask questions, take risks, offer advice, and have fun. 

You will leave this course with:

• new ideas and skills for creating personable and informative course introductory videos
• a first prototype, with feedback

Participation

Participants should expect to spend at least 5 hours for course activities during the week. Those with no prior online teaching and learning experience can expect to invest more time. Active participation will make this course successful for everyone!

Step 1 - Why?

Consider the aadvantages of launching your course with an introduction video:

• Entices learners to enroll or continue in your course
• Helps to establish instructor presence
• Connect with your learners in a way that is not possible with text
• Others?

Step 2 - What have others done?

Think about course intro videos that have caught your attention. Is there something new you would like to try?

A quick YouTube search will yield endless examples!

Step 3 - What should I include in my video?

What to include is up to you - this is your "first impression" for your own course. You might want to:

• talk a bit about your teaching and other professional experience
• share an anecdote or advice from your past experiences teaching your course
• offer some tips on how to get the most out of the course your learners are about to embark on
• kick off a thread using an icebreaker activity and encourage your learners to do the same
• model what you would like your learners to do -- take risks? be adventurous?
• take learners on a video tour of your office or garden
• tell a story...

There are endless possibilities for what to include, and how to present it.

Step 4 - What format should I use?

Once you have decided what to include, consider what you hope to achieve with this video. Is what you have to say going to be understood, appreciated, and remembered if you simply speak to the camera? Or would it be beneficial to include other visuals, such as sketches, photos, screenshots, etc. 

Also important: consider the time and effort you are ready to invest. How experienced are you with video editing? How much time do you have? 

Step 5 - What tools should I use?

Caution: This is where you could easily spend most of your time! Once you have decided on a format for your video, find a tool that seems suitable. If this is your first video, don't get too ambitious! 

We have prepared a tool list in Google Docs to help you get started. Feel free to add other tools you come across and try out!

Questions? Save time! Just ask!

Step 6 - How do I prepare?

There are many elements to consider when creating a video. There is also a range of quality -- from polished/professional to personable/natural. These basics 

• Choose a suitable location (avoid clutter!)
• Write a script (keep it brief, avoid details that will prevent you from reusing the video in future courses)
• Set up your lighting 
• Reduce background noise (close windows, mute phone, etc)
• If using a separate microphone, position it below your mouth, not directly in front, and soften those P and T sounds
• Practice speaking to the camera (breathe, slow down, watch for obvious eye movement if reading)
• Rehearse + playback + fine tune / repeat

Step 7 - Do it!

Now that you have prepared your area and rehearsed, you're ready to create your course intro video prototype(s) 

Try watching a few examples of course introduction videos. How long felt like too long?

Step 8 - Post it

Upload your video to Kaltura (available in this course using the text editor -- look for this button  ), or to another online service such as YouTube or Vimeo. Using these hosting options is better than attaching videos as files to forum posts because file sizes can be very large. 

Post to the Sharing and Feedback forum following the instructions in the forum description. 

Step 9 - Review others and give feedback

Review the fabulous videos already submitted and select a couple to offer some specific, constructive feedback. For example,

• Does the post help establish instructor presence?
• Is it clear? too long? or too short? just right?
• Is the quality "good enough" (these need not be oscar winning presentations, but the quality shouldn't interfere with the message, e.g., lots of background noise, too light or too dark images, etc)
• As a viewer, what is the impression you are left with?
• Is there something else that you would have liked to know about this person, as a facilitator?

Step 10 - Refine your prototype

Did you receive some tips on how to improve your video? Try making another one and post for further feedback!