1.3 Low-tech, low-complexity video recording

Figure 4.4 Creating resources doesn’t have to be complicated.

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A photograph showing a mobile phone on a tripod.

Figure 4.4 Creating resources doesn’t have to be complicated.

You may be able to find existing videos available on the internet to incorporate in digital content or presentations, but you may also want or need to make your own. This does not need to be complicated, nor require sophisticated equipment. A simple set-up with a phone camera and a tripod can work well.

In the following activity, Pauline gives some practical tips about how to make short videos.

Activity 4.2 Low-complexity uses of video

Timing: Allow about 10 minutes

This video highlights the benefits of a low-tech, low-complexity approach to producing video content in online teaching.

1. Watch the video or read the transcript and make notes about how achievable and effective this method could be in delivering your digital content.
2. Pauline has shared some tips about her practice. Consider whether you have tips about use of video in your context and how you could share and discuss these ideas with colleagues within your institution.

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Transcript

PAULINE:

Hello, my name’s Pauline. I’m going to share with you some tips and techniques for making training videos I’ve picked up over the last few years. Let’s start with some technical tips. Always film ‘landscape’ and in HD. Keep the background simple, wear plain, non-branded clothing. Make sure your face is clearly visible.

Good sound quality is important. If your device doesn’t have a good microphone, use a headset or an external microphone. Speak clearly and try not to talk too fast.

You don’t need any special equipment to make a training video. I often prop my phone up on a pile of books if I don’t need to move the camera. A tripod can come in useful, though, if I need to change the focus, for example, from my face to the desktop. I often ask a friend or a colleague to help with that.

If I want to share myself writing, I take the glass from the bottom of the fridge, prop it up on two piles of books, and put my camera face down on the glass. Choose a technique that works best for the point you want to make and for your particular audience. When making a training video, I go through a process that involves four Ps – purpose, plan, prepare and practise.

First, purpose. What are the key points that I want to get across? What does my audience really need to know? Writing these down helps me to keep focused and make sure the video is not too long.

Second, plan. I write myself a script. And against each point, I put the props that I’m going to need, the kind of resources that will help to get my point across.

Third, prepare. Now I need to make all of the props that I’ve decided I needed, and I write myself a prompter sheet. This saves me reading from the script, which sounds really artificial.

I make sure that everything is really easily available for me so that I don’t have to move away from the camera. So, here are the arrow cards that I made to use with the arrow cards video and the book that I used. You see they’re just here right in front of me.

Once you’ve got everything ready, expect to do quite a lot of practising. It takes a while to get it the way that you want it and to remember all the words that you want to say in the right order. Once you’ve got it so that you’re happy with it, you’re ready to shoot your final film. Remember, enjoy yourself. Have fun. And just be yourself.

Spend some time practising, and you’ll soon feel confident to film yourself. Short, to-the-point videos with lots of visual aids are a great way of training and will prove an invaluable tool for you.

End transcript

 

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Comment

It is important to emphasise that video does not need to be an expensive, high-tech venture. This activity is designed to demonstrate how achievable video can be for many educators and those who support or lead online education, and to help you to think about how it might be useful in your own practice.

To demonstrate how effective low-tech videos can be, the ‘practitioner reflections’ videos used throughout this course were all made by the people at home, using regular webcams or phone cameras.