by MU Instructional Designers
\nOctober 20, 2021
\n10-12 min read<\/p>\n
Video storytelling is one of the most popular storytelling forms in our culture today. Consider the ubiquity of movies, TV shows, YouTube videos, and video games. Students have experience as consumers of videos, but creating their own encourages them to practice digital competency skills while deeply engaging with course content. Make students the producers by adapting a more traditional assignment (e.g. essay, presentation) into a video project.<\/p>\n
When students are content creators, they must think critically about their audience and purpose as well as ethical implications when sharing information for a wider audience. A good starting point is to incorporate simple projects like Adobe Express videos, narrated PowerPoints, or talking head videos. These can usually be done independently and over a shorter period of time.<\/p>\n
More complex video projects take more time and planning. They are also an excellent opportunity for student collaboration, accomplishing multiple course learning goals in both content mastery and group dynamics. Most video projects need to be done as a group because of the many components involved.<\/p>\n
Like any assessment, video projects must be relevant and meaningful, meeting at least one course learning objective. You should be able to answer “Why?” for this project — why are they making a video (rather than essay, podcast, etc.), and why are they making the type of video you’ve assigned?<\/p>\n
When considering “why a video <\/em>project?” — think about what would make the content of the video unique and\/or helpful. Since there are so many videos already available on YouTube and elsewhere, it’s important to focus video content more at the application, analysis, and synthesis levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy<\/a><\/strong>, rather than repeating facts or summarizing existing works.<\/p>\n One reason to use video in the classroom is its relevance outside of the classroom, which should be considered when designing the project. How can the videos that students create be useful to their activities\/interests outside the classroom and\/or their future academic or career goals?<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n When designing your video project, consider where you might embed opportunities for student voice and choice. Are students able to make decisions about their video topic and\/or target audience? Can they choose their approach to the video (e.g. camera recording vs. slides-based)? Can they choose whether or not they work in a group? Certain aspects of the project will not be flexible so that they effectively meet your learning objectives, but other aspects provide an opportunity to give students agency in this assignment. (UDL Consideration 7.1<\/strong><\/a>)<\/p>\n NOTE:<\/strong> Too many choices can be overwhelming for some students. We recommend having a sample or recommended approach available for students who aren’t sure how to start. The assignment can include a statement like “Not sure how you want to record your video? One way is to use YuJa to record your webcam and screen.”<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n Students have gotten used to the basic expectations for essays and quizzes, but video projects are less frequent and more varied as assignments. It’s important to be very clear about what you expect in the final product. Consider these questions:<\/p>\n Each of those factors also affect the amount of time needed to complete the project. We recommend creating your own sample, following your assigned parameters, to help you judge how much time to dedicate to this project, both inside and outside of class time.<\/p>\n An additional consideration is that videos are meant to be shared with a broader audience than just the instructor. Will students be publishing their videos to the web? Embedding them on a website or ePortfolio? Sharing them with their peers in the course? This should be clear from the beginning of the project as it will impact their choices throughout the process. It also provides an opportunity for students to license their work with Creative Commons<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n Lastly, as with any assignment, it’s important to clearly communicate how the project will be assessed. Rubrics are a great way to do this. A\u00a0<\/span>single point rubric<\/span><\/b><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/b>that lists the expectations, has room for comments, and includes a points column is a natural fit for a project like this. <\/span>Here are some sample rubrics for video projects:<\/p>\n DIGL 101 Video Project Rubric<\/strong> (analytic rubric approach; specific only to video quality, not content)<\/p>\nProvide voice and choice.<\/h2>\n
Set clear expectations.<\/h2>\n
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