{"id":889,"date":"2021-04-30T14:00:19","date_gmt":"2021-04-30T18:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.messiah.edu\/etc\/?page_id=889"},"modified":"2026-02-25T16:19:41","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T21:19:41","slug":"instructional-videos","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blogs.messiah.edu\/IDblog\/create-content\/instructional-videos\/","title":{"rendered":"Instructional Videos"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>by MU Instructional Designers<br \/>\nReviewed March 25, 2025<br \/>\n8-10 min read<\/p>\n<div class=\"su-youtube su-u-responsive-media-no\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"426\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/i9wYU15kwa8?\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture\" title=\"\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>The video above highlights how instructional videos can enhance student learning and engagement. An effective instructional video has a very specific purpose and audience. Consider these questions:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Is my intended audience all students in the course or a specific subset (e.g. students working on a particular project, students who need remediation)?<\/li>\n<li>Is my intended audience students who are familiar with some of the content (e.g. already completed assigned reading) or who haven&#8217;t had any exposure to it yet (e.g. a chapter introduction)?<\/li>\n<li>Is my purpose to model a process (e.g. walking through a tutorial)?<\/li>\n<li>Is my purpose to present facts about a topic (e.g. direct instruction)?<\/li>\n<li>Is my purpose to present my ideas or personal experiences (e.g. narrative lectures, testimonials, etc.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span class=\"s1\"><div class=\"su-spoiler su-spoiler-style-simple su-spoiler-icon-plus su-spoiler-closed\" data-scroll-offset=\"0\" data-anchor-in-url=\"no\"><div class=\"su-spoiler-title\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\"><span class=\"su-spoiler-icon\"><\/span>Types of Instructional Videos<\/div><div class=\"su-spoiler-content su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Here are a few types of videos that could meet the needs of different audiences and purposes:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Key Concept Videos or Microlectures<a href=\"https:\/\/er.educause.edu\/articles\/2022\/2\/short-and-sweet-the-educational-benefits-of-microlectures-and-active-learning\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><sup>1<\/sup> <\/a><\/strong>(&#8220;just-in-time teaching&#8221;). Short screenrecordings, demonstrations, and explanations for particularly difficult concepts are a great study tool that students can re-watch as needed.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Online Lectures<\/strong>. Popular with flipped learning, lecture videos can engage students with direct instruction, saving class-time for application or discussion.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Introductory Videos<\/strong>. Short, informal, unscripted video introductions can add authenticity and teacher presence, particularly in hybrid and online classes.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Video Feedback.\u00a0<\/strong>Recording video comments to provide feedback on student work can be effective. It conveys tone, adds teacher presence, and saves time from typing, but it&#8217;s not a good option for long or multi-part feedback.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<h2 role=\"heading\">Evidence-based Practices<\/h2>\n<p role=\"heading\"><span class=\"s1\"><div class=\"su-spoiler su-spoiler-style-simple su-spoiler-icon-plus su-spoiler-closed\" data-scroll-offset=\"0\" data-anchor-in-url=\"no\"><div class=\"su-spoiler-title\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\"><span class=\"su-spoiler-icon\"><\/span>Make videos authentic.<\/div><div class=\"su-spoiler-content su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\"><\/span><\/p>\n<h3 role=\"heading\">Make videos authentic.<\/h3>\n<h4 role=\"heading\">Teacher Presence<\/h4>\n<p>Effective instructional videos capitalize on\u00a0<em>you<\/em>, the instructor of the course. Videos that look and feel generic are less engaging and can detract from perceived relevance to the course. Here are some effective strategies for increasing teacher presence in your instructional videos:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Show your face, don&#8217;t just be a disembodied voice.<\/strong>\u00a0This can mean having your <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/Wyk7aEj01FI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">camera turned on in Zoom when showing PowerPoint slides<\/a><\/strong>, or <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/TJqNIXfsaME\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">talking directly to your webcam<\/a> <\/strong>without screen recording.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Be conversational (even humorous).<\/strong> Sometimes if feels very formal to talk into a camera, but imagine that you&#8217;re talking to your students in class and show your own personality.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Share personal anecdotes and experiences<\/strong>. This makes your content feel more relevant, and highlights your perspective on the concepts being discussed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>Diverse Perspectives<\/h4>\n<p>As previously mentioned, sharing your own experiences and perspective increases authenticity and relevance for students, but to enhance the learning experience even more, consider also adding perspectives that are different from your own. You can record 1:1 interviews in Zoom or with a smartphone in person. You can add video clips from YouTube or Films On Demand that show how your course content can be applied across cultures, identities, and contexts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><div class=\"su-spoiler su-spoiler-style-simple su-spoiler-icon-plus su-spoiler-closed\" data-scroll-offset=\"0\" data-anchor-in-url=\"no\"><div class=\"su-spoiler-title\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\"><span class=\"su-spoiler-icon\"><\/span>Make videos engaging.<\/div><div class=\"su-spoiler-content su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\"><\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Make videos engaging.<\/h3>\n<h4>Organized<\/h4>\n<p>Videos with clear organization (sequence, transitions, etc.) help students stay engaged and retain information. When planning out your video, identify key ideas\/points and consider how to deliver them in a concise and engaging video. Many instructors prefer just using outlines as opposed to full scripts so that the actual phrasing can be more extemporaneous, while other instructors prefer to write out full scripts that they will read from\/perform (this works best for narration only videos, so that it doesn&#8217;t look like you are reading).<\/p>\n<h4>Chunked<\/h4>\n<p>Attention span is the biggest difference between instructional videos and face-to-face instruction. Chunking video content into brief segments improves student engagement. Various research studies have found a range of &#8220;ideal&#8221; instructional video lengths:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Guo, Kim, &amp; Rubin (2014)\u00a0argue for keeping video clips <strong>under six minutes <\/strong>(their context was MOOCs).<a href=\"http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1145\/2556325.2566239\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong><sup>2<\/sup><\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Nilson &amp; Goodson (2018) advocate for a target range of <strong>six to eighteen minutes<\/strong> for video length.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wiley.com\/en-us\/Online+Teaching+at+Its+Best%3A+Merging+Instructional+Design+with+Teaching+and+Learning+Research%2C+2nd+Edition-p-9781119765011\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>3<\/strong><\/a><\/sup><\/li>\n<li>Oakley, Rogowsky, &amp; Sejnowski (2021) posit that student attention span can be roughly calculated as <strong>age + 1 in minutes<\/strong> (e.g. 19 year old student = 20 minutes).<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/www.penguinrandomhouse.com\/books\/666737\/uncommon-sense-teaching-by-barbara-oakley-phd-beth-rogowsky-edd-terrence-j-sejnowski-phd\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>4<\/strong><\/a><\/sup><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>A live lecture is inherently more interactive as students are receiving and giving nonverbal cues and\/or asking questions. When students are more passively watching a screen, that engagement decreases without chunking and opportunities for response\/reflection (discussed more below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><div class=\"su-spoiler su-spoiler-style-simple su-spoiler-icon-plus su-spoiler-closed\" data-scroll-offset=\"0\" data-anchor-in-url=\"no\"><div class=\"su-spoiler-title\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\"><span class=\"su-spoiler-icon\"><\/span>Provide options for student response and reflection.<\/div><div class=\"su-spoiler-content su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\"><\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"s1\">Provide options for student response and reflection.<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Providing options for students to interact with material increases the opportunity for deeper learning. When students have to do something with what they\u2019ve just learned it strengthens their understanding and ability to synthesize the information.<\/p>\n<p>Options could include some of the following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Self-grading or practice quiz<\/li>\n<li>Guiding questions for reading or watching a video<\/li>\n<li>Reflection activity using video\/text\/audio \u2013 does not have to be submitted\/graded<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Consider the &#8220;10\/2 Chunk &amp; Chew&#8221; rule: for every 10 minutes of content, students should have at least 2 minutes of processing time.<sup><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/publishing.cast.org\/catalog\/books-products\/supercharge-your-professional-learning-derbiszewska-tucker-smith?srsltid=AfmBOooiuPEYdPNidg44fXQWc8YtZZhGdPMK2C4_oNYwPoFvo9V0sKNE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">5<\/a><\/strong><\/sup> Chunking material into smaller sub-topics was discussed above with making your video engaging, now this response\/reflection piece creates the &#8220;chew&#8221; time for students to engage with and better retain information.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><div class=\"su-spoiler su-spoiler-style-simple su-spoiler-icon-plus su-spoiler-closed\" data-scroll-offset=\"0\" data-anchor-in-url=\"no\"><div class=\"su-spoiler-title\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\"><span class=\"su-spoiler-icon\"><\/span>Model ethical behavior.<\/div><div class=\"su-spoiler-content su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\"><\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"s1\">Model ethical behavior.<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>By modeling appropriate strategies for accessibility and digital citizenship, you provide examples to your students and clearly demonstrate the importance of ethical behavior when producing your own content.<\/p>\n<h4>Accessible to Everyone<\/h4>\n<p>Consider students who may have different cultural backgrounds (consider <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.messiah.edu\/IDblog\/foundations\/inclusion\/culturally-responsive-teaching-crt\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy [CSP]<\/a><\/strong>). Be careful not to make assumptions about what your students already know based on how they look or how they speak. When creating your video content, be sure to clarify and\/or provide background knowledge if you include references to<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Regional customs<\/li>\n<li>Unique vocabulary<\/li>\n<li>Figurative language\n<ul>\n<li>Idioms<\/li>\n<li>Symbols (this applies visually too)<\/li>\n<li>Metaphors<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Pop culture events or people<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In addition to considering accessibility in the <em>content<\/em> of your videos (<em>what<\/em>), consider how to plan for accessibility in the <em>delivery<\/em> of your videos <em>(how).<\/em> Captioning your videos ensures they are accessible to a variety of learners such as students who have difficulty processing audio information well, non-native English speakers, or those with cognitive processing issues. It\u2019s UDL in action! (UDL Consideration <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/udlguidelines.cast.org\/representation\/perception\/alternatives-auditory\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">1.2<\/a><\/strong>)<\/p>\n<p>If you upload your video to <a href=\"https:\/\/techsupport.messiah.edu\/kb\/yuja-overview\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>YuJa<\/strong><\/a>, captions will be generated automatically. Just be sure to review them and make any corrections that may be needed.<\/p>\n<h4>Digital Citizenship<\/h4>\n<p>Respecting copyright is the responsibility of all content producers, including educators. When you model adherence to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.messiah.edu\/copyright\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>copyright guidelines<\/strong><\/a>, you are leading by example. One easy way to do this is to use images that are freely available at sites like Pixabay and Unsplash for your presentations. Point out how you cited them (if required) so that students will have a clear understanding of what is expected in their own work.<\/p>\n<p>Remember copyright applies to your work too. How do you want to share your video? Is it meant to be only for your class, or are you posting it to YouTube for a broader audience as well? If you choose to share it, consider using a\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/share-your-work\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Creative Commons<\/a> <\/strong>license.<\/p>\n<p>Another aspect to digital citizenship that you can model in your instructional videos is\u00a0<em>information validation<\/em>. When we present information to students, there is an inherent trust that, as educators, we are sharing information from credible and accurate sources. Encourage students to think critically about where information comes from by describing your own information validation process, particularly on controversial topics.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<h2>Learn More!<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/padlet.com\/educationaltechservices\/uk3cded3l64b2dq2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Instructional Videos Resources Padlet<\/strong><\/a> &#8211; Provides tips and tools for creating instructional videos.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/livemessiah-my.sharepoint.com\/:w:\/g\/personal\/educationaltechservices_messiah_edu\/EXL5pKMqbMxJrzZM1oDIfokB5zodpDAs6rCm8okjIaDdTQ?e=V3AgEA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Annotated Bibliography<\/strong><\/a> &#8211; A collection of research on the topic of instructional videos.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/techsupport.messiah.edu\/kb\/create-a-video\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Create a Video (from Tech Support Knowledge Base)<\/strong><\/a> &#8211; Nuts and bolts for pre-production, production, and post-production stages of creating a video.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>by MU Instructional Designers Reviewed March 25, 2025 8-10 min read The video above highlights how instructional videos can enhance student learning and engagement. An effective instructional video has a <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.messiah.edu\/IDblog\/create-content\/instructional-videos\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Instructional Videos<\/span><span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":83,"featured_media":0,"parent":337,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9346],"tags":[12694,1112,12689,12698,773],"class_list":["post-889","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","category-design-course-structure","tag-demonstration","tag-lecture","tag-multimedia","tag-screencast","tag-video"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.messiah.edu\/IDblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/889","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.messiah.edu\/IDblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.messiah.edu\/IDblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.messiah.edu\/IDblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/83"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.messiah.edu\/IDblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=889"}],"version-history":[{"count":55,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.messiah.edu\/IDblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/889\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2273,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.messiah.edu\/IDblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/889\/revisions\/2273"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.messiah.edu\/IDblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/337"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.messiah.edu\/IDblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=889"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.messiah.edu\/IDblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=889"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.messiah.edu\/IDblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=889"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}