Adding videos make a fantastic addition for your course to enhance students’ learning experiences.
Videos drive higher engagement, provide aids for visual learners, and help you utilize more ways to explain concepts in a way your audience can understand. Video opens up a whole new way of learning—but creating them can be daunting!
In this article, we’ll explore the key elements and strategies that can help you produce high-quality, engaging videos for your online course.
| Did you know? You can add videos easily to any course you create with ThriveCart Learn. |
1. Understand Your Audience
Before you start planning your videos, it’s essential to understand your target audience. Consider their age, background, and familiarity with the subject matter. Knowing your audience will guide your content creation process, helping you tailor your videos for your students’ needs and preferences.
- Identify Learning Styles: People have different learning styles—visual, auditory, kinesthetic, etc. Try to incorporate different elements that cater to various learning preferences to make your content more inclusive: such as demonstrating processes on screen for kinesthetic learners, a clear voiceover for auditory learners, or providing charts and animations for visual learners.
- Set Clear Learning Objectives: Clearly defining the goals of your course before you dive into video creation will help you structure your videos in a way that aligns with your educational objectives. By deciding what you want your students to achieve beforehand, you increase the chances that they’ll be successful.
2. Planning Your Content
Effective videos require careful planning. Developing a solid plan will not only save you time in the long run but also ensure that your content is organized and easy to follow.
- Create a Script or Outline: Start by outlining the key points you want to cover in each video. This can be a detailed script or a simple outline. A script can help you stay on track and deliver information in a clear, concise manner.
- Organize Your Material: Break down your content into digestible sections. Each video should have a clear structure with an introduction, main content, and a conclusion. Avoid overwhelming your audience with too much information in one video.
- Use Visual Aids: Enhance your content with visual aids such as slides, graphics, and animations. Visuals not only make your videos more engaging but also help reinforce key concepts to help your students learn.
3. Choosing the Right Equipment
Quality matters when it comes to video production. While you don’t need the latest and most expensive equipment, investing in decent tools can significantly improve the overall quality of your videos, and make more efficient use of your time.
- Camera: Use a good quality camera to capture clear and crisp footage. Many smartphones have impressive cameras, so you don’t necessarily need a professional video camera… but it might help!
- Microphone: Clear audio is just as important as video clarity. Invest in an external microphone to ensure that your voice comes through loud and clear, even if you use your smartphone. Avoid using the built-in microphone on your camera or computer, as the audio quality may not be as great as you need it to be.
- Lighting: Proper lighting can make a significant difference in the quality of your videos if you go the non-animated route. Make sure wherever you shoot your videos is well-lit, and consider investing in softbox lights or natural lighting for a professional look.
4. Creating a Captivating Introduction
The first few seconds of your video are crucial for capturing your students’ attention. A compelling introduction sets the tone for the entire video and motivates viewers to continue watching and learning, and ultimately completing the whole of your course.
- Hook Your Audience: Start with a hook that grabs your audience’s attention. This could be a thought-provoking question, a surprising fact, or a brief overview of what they will learn in the video.
- Introduce Yourself: Briefly introduce yourself and establish your credibility. Let your audience know why you are qualified to teach the content.
- Preview the Content: Provide a brief overview of what the video will cover. This helps set expectations and keeps viewers engaged.
5. How to be Engaging
Once you’ve captured your audience’s attention, it’s crucial to maintain their interest throughout the video. Here are some tips for delivering engaging content:
- Speak Clearly and Confidently: Enunciate your words and speak at a moderate pace. Confidence in your delivery will inspire confidence in your audience.
- Use a Conversational Tone: Avoid sounding too formal! Speak to your audience as if you’re having a conversation with a friend. This gives your students a more comfortable and relatable learning environment.
- Encourage Interaction: Nurture engagement by encouraging viewers to ask questions or participate in discussions. This can be done through comments, forums, or live Q&A sessions.
- Incorporate Real-World Examples: Relate theoretical concepts to real-world examples to help students better understand and apply the information.
6. Enhancing Visual Appeal
Visual appeal plays a significant role in keeping your audience engaged. Utilize a variety of techniques to make your videos visually appealing:
- Use Varied Shots: Avoid monotonous visuals by incorporating a mix of wide shots, close-ups, and cutaways. This adds visual interest and helps break up the learning experience.
- Graphics and Animations: Enhance your content with on-screen graphics, animations, and text overlays. These elements can clarify key points and make your videos more engaging.
- Branding: Consider adding a consistent visual theme or branding elements to your videos. This creates a cohesive look and strengthens your brand identity.
7. Incorporating Assessments and Activities
To ensure that your audience is grasping the concepts presented in your videos, consider incorporating assessments and activities into your online course.
- Quizzes and Surveys: Create short quizzes or surveys to reinforce key concepts and gauge understanding. This can be done within the video platform or through external tools.
- Assignments: Design practical assignments that allow students to apply what they’ve learned. This could include projects, case studies, or real-world applications of the content.
- Interactive Elements: Use interactive elements like clickable buttons or annotations to allow viewers to navigate to specific sections or resources.
8. Optimizing Video Length
While it’s tempting to cover as much information as possible in a single video, it’s essential to consider your audience’s attention span. Aim for a balance between thorough coverage and bitesize video length.
- Break Content Into Segments: If your topic is extensive, consider breaking it into smaller, more manageable segments. This makes it easier for viewers to absorb information and allows them to pace their learning.
- Set Realistic Expectations: Clearly communicate the expected duration of each video. This helps viewers plan their time and encourages them to engage with your content.
9. Ensuring Accessibility
Accessibility is a key consideration in online education. Make sure your videos are accessible to a diverse audience, including individuals with disabilities.
- Closed Captions: Provide closed captions for your videos to make them accessible to individuals with hearing impairments. Many video platforms offer automated captioning options.
- Transcripts: Include written transcripts of your videos. This not only aids those with hearing impairments but also benefits learners who prefer reading or need to review the content later. They also make great downloads and lead magnets!
10. Soliciting and Incorporating Feedback
Continuous improvement is vital in the world of online education. Encourage feedback from your audience and use it to refine your video content.
- Feedback Forms: Implement feedback forms or surveys at the end of each module or course. Ask specific questions about the clarity of content, engagement level, and areas for improvement.
- Iterative Process: Treat content creation as an iterative process. Use feedback to make necessary adjustments and enhancements to future videos.
Ready to create an awesome course video?
With a little thoughtful planning, engaging delivery, and a commitment to improve, you can create some really fantastic online learning videos even if you don’t have expensive equipment.
All you need to do is have a thorough understanding of your audience, and by employing effective strategies, and incorporating multimedia elements, you can produce videos that not only convey information but also inspire and captivate your learners.
The best place to run your online courses? Of course, it’s ThriveCart Learn. Grab your lifetime license today.
