Many SMEs ask about having students submit video posts in discussions or video presentations for assignments. Videos can provide students with the opportunity to connect visually with one another and they can help students develop their technology literacy and presentation skills and collaboration skills. At the same time, recording videos can be stressful for students.
Before developing a video discussion or video presentation assignment, consider the following questions:
- How will students benefit from this form of presentation? Make sure to share how!
- Who is the target audience for the presentation?
- If you just want students to informally post a video discussion for their peers, be sure to indicate that professional quality is not critical so that they don’t spend hours recording and re-recording their work.
- If you want students to submit a polished video presentation where the target audience is formal like the ‘CEO of a business’, indicate this and be sure to include ‘presentation quality’ criteria in the rubric with very clear expectations. In addition, students should have time to develop and practice their presentation/video skills with step-by-step instructions and guidelines. *Be sure to connect with eLearning to make sure these guidelines are added to your course!
- Do students have the knowledge and skills to complete this?
- eLearning has instructions they will embed in the course for students on how to use Canvas Studio, but you might want to have them practice or submit drafts for review if the goal is to submit a polished presentation at the end of the course.
- eLearning has instructions they will embed in the course for students on how to use Canvas Studio, but you might want to have them practice or submit drafts for review if the goal is to submit a polished presentation at the end of the course.
- Will a video assignment directly support a weekly objective or course-level outcome? It’s important for students to see how the assignment is relevant to their learning.
When developing video assignments, please include the following:
- Explicit reasons for the video. Explain how the video relates specifically to course-level outcomes.
- Specific guidelines that identify who the audience is and what the expectations for the presentation are.
- Clear and descriptive rubrics for video presentation assignments. (This may or may not be necessary for discussion video posts if they are intended to be informal). See below!
- Practice! Assign students a practice video so that they become comfortable with the process and can ask questions about the guidelines.
| Presentation Criterion | Exceeds Expectations | Meets Expectations | Approaches Expectations | Does Not Meet Expectations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Video Editing | Only high-quality shots used. Shots and scenes flow seamlessly. Digital effects are used appropriately for emphasis. | Includes only quality shots remaining. A variety of transitions are used. Good pacing and timing. | Several poor shots remain. There are many unnatural breaks and/or early cuts. | Many poor shots remain. No transitions between clips are used. |
| Audio Editing | The audio is clear and effectively assists in communicating the main idea. Background audio is kept in balance. | The audio is clear and assists in communicating the main idea. | The audio is inconsistent in clarity (too loud/too soft/garbled) at times and/or the background audio overpowers the primary audio. | The audio is cut-off and inconsistent or overpowering. |
| Lighting | Additional lighting is used to eliminate shadows and glares. All scenes have sufficient lighting for viewer to easily see action. | Additional lighting is used. Few shadows or glares are apparent. | Some scenes are too dark or too light to determine what is happening. | Only ambient (available) light is used. Most scenes are too dark or too light to determine what is happening. |
| Camera Techniques (Exposure/Focus) | All shots are clearly focused and well-framed. The camera is steady. | Most shots are clearly focused and well-framed. | Some shots are unfocused or poorly framed. | Many shots are unfocused and poorly framed. |
| Graphics | Graphics are clear and explain / reinforce key points during the presentation. | The graphics or animation visually depict material and assist the audience in understanding the flow of information or content. | Some of the graphics and/or animations seem unrelated to the topic/theme and do not enhance concepts. | The graphics and/or animations are unrelated to the content and may be distracting decorations that detract from the content. |
| Copyright | Copyrighted information for photos, graphics and music is clearly identified by source and nature of permission to reproduce. | Every photo, graphic or music is either original or permission for its use is documented. | Some sources of photos, graphics, and music are not clearly identified with references, and permission to reproduce is missing. | There is no reference to copyright information for photos, graphics, and music. |
| Accessible | The captions are readily available and clean. | Captions are available but may have a few errors. | Captions contain numerous errors. | No captioning was provided. |
Adapted from The University of Washington