Creating videos is notoriously hard, creating a good quality video is even harder. There is a huge investment of time (let alone money) when creating video content. So, it’s not surprising that the format is largely avoided in academia.
There are a lot of things to consider when creating video content, here’s a, by no means exhaustive, list:
- Equipment (what I find to be the biggest stumbling block in HE)
- Copyright and permissions (who are you filming, do you have their permission. Do you own the rights to the video?)
- Location (it’s almost impossible to find somewhere quiet!)
- Editing (it can take a long time to edit a video especially if the software is complex)
- Storage (the size of a HD video can be huge, how do you store it)
- Availability (where can I put it so people can view it?)
So all things considered, making a video takes a long time, you need to plan, you need equipment and the expertise to use it. (If you’ve not been put off creating a video Jisc have a really helpful video production infokit) In light of all these potential difficulties, why would you bother?
We all recognise the positive effects video can have in the classroom. This post, Pedagogical benefits of video by the University of Queensland, succinctly sums up the positive effects of video and provides links to a helpful further reading. Videos are beneficial because they:
- are an effective method of storytelling
- engage students
- spark conversations
- are visual
- are attractive
- are flexible (students and teachers are able to pause, rewind, play again)
- emphasise important messages
It was with a deep joy that I was introduced to Adobe Voice. An iPad and iPhone app which allows you to create engaging video content quickly and easily. Watch the video below (I spent about 10 minutes making it) to learn a little about what Adobe Voice can do.
//voice.adobe.com/a/qEzNX/embed/
What did you think? I reckon it would take me a few days to learn how to make something like that but it took me no more than 10 minutes to make using Voice. It’s hosted online so I don’t need to worry about storage and I can link directly to it using a URL or embed it on a page like I have above.
All you need to start using Adobe Voice is an iPad or iPhone and an Adobe ID, which is free and only involves entering an email address and password. So, you can use it with your students, why not get them to create some video content.
You don’t need to be Steven Spielberg to make a good video resource!