Tools for Video Presentations

SHSST offers PowerPoint and Screencast-O-Matic software to faculty. We will provide a basic introduction and connect faculty with peers who have used these tools. The library has video cameras to lend if you want to go beyond your cell phone's capabilities. 

DO NOT Create a PowerPoint with

• Too many words on a slide
• Bad Clip art
• Movement (slide transitions or word animations)
• Templates with too many colors

These distract students from receiving your message.

Five Strategies to Increase the Effectiveness of Video Lectures

1. Divide Large Lectures Into Smaller Segments

2. Use Visuals Strategically

3. Incorporate Active-Learning Techniques

4. Assess Student Understanding

5. Avoid Common Pitfalls

"One of the most important characteristics of an engaging video is an authentic speaker who acts naturally—maintain a normal speaking pace and display enthusiasm for the content."

Build higher-order thinking! Check out this thoughtful essay from the Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching: https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/active-learning/

Active learning means that faculty will "focus more on developing students’ skills than on transmitting information and require that students do something—read, discuss, write—that requires higher-order thinking. They also tend to place some emphasis on students’ explorations of their own attitudes and values."

Ideas & Tips from the Center for Educational Innovation at the University of Minnesota: https://cei.umn.edu/active-learning