Boris Margolin

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Signature Learning Assignment

Creating engaging videos for instruction

TOPIC SELECTION

Identify a topic that would be suitable for developing an instructional unit for the course project and explain the key goal of this instruction. Provide a brief rationale in which you explain how you are knowledgeable about the subject and why you find the subject interesting. Also describe why you think the content is manageable and can be taught in about 20 minutes, and why your topic could be categorized as an intellectual skill. 

Topic: Creating engaging videos for instruction

Goal of Instruction: To empower educators/instructors to create visually consistent structure for engaging video based instruction. 

Rationale: The conditions created by the current pandemic have made connecting with students more challenging. As education moves to a remote or distance learning format, the need for educators and instructors to engage with their learners has grown. Online meeting platforms have been utilized to meet this challenge in live and recorded settings, however they can create environments where more time is spent on technical support, trial and error, and disruptions such as “Zoom bombin”. 

One key way to avoid these issues is to produce video based instruction for the learner. But educators often overlook some key factors while also relying to heavily on poorly selected, and inconsistent visuals to convey their ideas and instruction. Often the result of this is a very disjointed and jarring experience that can hinder instruction and understanding of key topics. Additionally they often remove themselves from the video, which makes impossible to visually convey emotion, energy, or for the learner to make a connection with the educator/instructor. 

By taking the time to plan and visualize their videos, educators can create a more engaging and visually consistent learning experience. One that not only puts them back in front of students, but also elevates the quality of what they are teaching. 

This topic is of particular interest to me. I’m both a developer and animator (motion graphics), with some video editing experience. Storyboards provide a way not only to organize a video, they also provide opportunities to optimize how information is presented. You can convey a lot with random clipart you find in PowerPoint…but you can convey a lot more when you use a consistent visual language. 

Description / Background of Learner (who would need this instruction): This unit would be ideal for educators/instructors who feel their instruction is limited by software or understanding of best practices for engaging videos. They want to improve engagement and outcomes for their learners. 

Their technical video production background would be rooted in PowerPoint, and they are looking improve the quality of those videos. 

TASK ANALYSIS

The task analysis should include a list of three to five tasks to complete a job. For each task identify a minimum of 3 steps an expert learner (or an individual who knows how to complete the task) would follow to learn the instructional goal for your project. Create a list of three to five questions you might ask a subject matter expert (SME) related to the task as a follow-up to your analysis.

Goal of Instruction: By the end of the unit students will be able to create a storyboard that combines a script with visuals, which can then be passed of to, our used for, video production.

Performance Based Assessment: The storyboard that the student creates will act as an authentic assessment of the unit’s instruction. The storyboard will be submitted for review to an editor or animator.  

SME/Questions:
The SMEs for this task would be an animator and video editor. 

Animator:

  1. What is the optimal way to explain the type of motion/animation that should occur on screen?
  2. How should transitions from one slide/topic to the next be conveyed on a storyboard?
  3. Where and how should sources be sited in a video?

 Video Editor:

  1. What is a lower third used for?
  2. What is the optimal orientation and aspect ratio for shooting a “selfie” video?
  3. How do you avoid a moiré effect?
  4. What would be an optimal video/audio recording environment?
  5. What are b-roll and stock footage and how are they used in video?

TASKS, OBJECTIVES AND MEASUREMENTS

For this study, develop at least three objectives. (Review Blooms’ Taxonomy to help identify key action verbs to write our objectives).  For each objective identify how you will formatively evaluate students’ ability to meet each objective then you have identified from the task analysis, below.  Reminder: if you have an objective you must identify a way to evaluate students’ progress in meeting that objective (called alignment). 

Objectives

  1. Detail how onscreen locations in a video are commonly used and how to plan a video for success (Analyze). 
  2. Subdivide a script into sections for video recording and animation on a given or chosen topic (Analyze).. 
  3. Determine which types of visually consistent elements (text, photo, iconography/illustration) should be used in each section using given or chosen topic (Evaluate).
  4. Create a scene-by-scene storyboard on a given or chosen topic (Create).  

Measurements/Evaluation (one per objective)

  1. Online knowledge assessment of video best practices
  2. Documentation that shows which sections will use video, animation, or a combination of both. To be reviewed by instructor (animator/editor).  
  3. Art/mood board of visuals that follow a consistent look/theme or logical progression. To be reviewed by instructor (animator/editor).  
  4. Final storyboard delivered in a scene-by-scene format in a provided PowerPoint template or acceptable alternative format (keynote, Google slides, PDF, scanned/photographed rough sketches/doodles, etc…). To be reviewed by instructor (animator/editor). 

Tasks:

  1. Setting up a video for success.
    • Reading/lecture on key areas in a video.
      • Upper, middle and lower thirds.
      • Title safe areas.
      • Closed captions and footnotes/sources.
    • Reading and examples of issues that can arise when recording in person videos.
      • Examples of setting up a tripod and multiple cameras.
      • Planning for audio syncing.
      • Lighting and sound considerations.
      • Dressing to avoid a moiré effect.
    • Knowledge assessment 1.
      • Identify and match content to upper, middle and lower thirds
      • Identify potential issues in, and determine solutions for, a series of video recording scenarios.
  2. Video flow, motion graphics, and transitions. 
    • Review examples of annotated scripts with descriptions of motion/visuals.
    • Watch a video on professional transitional techniques
      • Fades, blowouts, cuts, match cuts, morphs, wipes, etc…
    • Watch a video on popular animations and video styles in instructional videos
      • Whiteboard animations, data visualizations, story based animations, kinetic typography.
    • Watch a video on ways to use stock photos or stock footage to explain a topic.
    • Submit documentation for assessment 2. 
      • Determine sections of script.
      • Determine which technique would be appropriate for a section and potential transitions from section to section.
  3. Keeping it consistent.
    • Watch a video that demonstrates inconsistent icon/illustration styles to explain a topic.
      • Outline icons mixed with full color or solid icons.
      • Photo realistic illustrations mixed with cartoon style illustrations.
      • Mixed use of word art.
    • Watch a video that demonstrates inconsistent use of photography and footage to explain a topic.
      • Posed mixed with candid photos/footage.
      • Jumping from people to object based photos/footage.
    • Create an art/mood board with consistent visuals for each section outlined in assessment 2. 
      • All icons/illustrations follow consistent visual style throughout each section that uses them. 
      • All photos/footage follow consistent visual style throughout each section that uses them. 
  4. Bring it together.
    • Review examples completed storyboards
      • Illustrated.
      • Stock photo based
      • Mixed
    • Watch a video that compares a storyboard section to it’s final production
    • With a provided template, create a storyboard using the art/mood board from assessment 3 and the documentation from assessment
      • Each scene includes a visual and associated script for that scene.
      • Sequential script elements are broken out across multiple scenes.
      • A consistent visual style is utilized across the storyboard.