Pre-recorded Instructional Video
Pre-recording instructional videos in advance is a versatile teaching strategy. The production of video content can range from quick-and-easy to in-depth.
Benefits of pre-recorded video
There are many ways instructors can benefit from delivering course content in video format.
- Students can access and rewatch videos freely
- Frees up synchronous class time for more interactive learning activities
- Instructors can reuse and re-edit recorded videos
Ways to use instructional video
Instructional videos can be used in a variety of ways to enhance your course.
Welcome video
A video introduction of the instructor and teaching team can bring a human presence into the online environment. It is a great way to orient students to a course, highlight key information, and give them a sense of who you are at the beginning of the quarter.
Weekly video messages
These quick and informal video messages are a good way for you to stay connected to the students throughout the course. These messages might be used to summarize key points, highlight successes, provide general feedback, or to preview upcoming content.
Supplemental instruction
Videos addressing challenging concepts, demonstrating solutions to problems, or prompting deeper thinking can be assigned before class to prepare students for synchronous activities, or after class to reinforce and extend learning.
Lecture recordings
Organize multiple videos into a cohesive series that can act as a complete lecture. This might be produced in advance for students to watch before attending a live class session. Another approach might be to record the live class session and then edit them into separate chunks and add activities for students to review after class or for use in future quarters.
Recommendations for pre-recorded video
Match the production level to your need
Not every video needs to be highly produced and of professional quality. Sometimes a video is only relevant to a particular quarter or class, or it may be an informal video message meant for one-time use. While highly-produced videos are valuable for repeated long-term use, video production can be time-consuming, so be conscientious of the time and resources you put into a video.
Keep videos short and lively
It is often harder to focus on a video than on a person. It is essential to hone in on a clear learning goal, such as one key concept or problem. It is much better to chunk your content into multiple ten-minute videos than one long lecture.
Integrate interaction with the lecture material
A video is almost always more meaningful to students if it is tied to activities. Record and upload your content to the Course Videos tool in Canvas (which utilizes Panopto). This tool allows students to respond with their own video submissions or to add text comments on the video timeline. You can even embed simple quiz questions within the video.
Use a tablet to incorporate digital handwriting
By using a tablet and stylus, such as an iPad and Apple Pencil, or Surface Pro, you can capture your natural handwriting in a digital screen recording. You might incorporate screen recordings of you solving problem sets, drawing a diagram, or annotating over text or images.
Learn More
- Pre-record lectures in Zoom and share on Canvas, Stanford GoCanvas (2022).
- Recording At Home or In Your Office: Quick Tips, Stanford Center for Professional Development (2020).
- Remote Lecture Capture with Panopto, Stanford Center for Professional Development (2020).
- Self-capture Quick-start Guide, Stanford Center for Professional Development (2020).