Designing and producing MOOCs:Part I (Videos)

Carlos Alario-Hoyos, Carlos Delgado KloosUniversidad Carlos III de Madrid@calahoy, @cdkloos

UNESCO Chair on

Scalable Digital Education for All

Spain

United Nations

Educational, Scientific andCultural Organization

Contents1. Best practices in video production

2. Phases of video production

3. Speaking in front of the camera

4. Copyright issues

1. Best Practicesin Video Production

Is it Necessary to Record this Video?

• Cost of production and maintenance• Evolution/adaptation over time• Cost of correcting errors• Text error vs. Speech error

Common errors1. It is not a blockbuster• The message matters much…• …and the resources that support the message

2. Do not record an entire class in the classroom• It is difficult to maintain attention for a long time• But it is not about “splitting” the class in several videos

First General Recommendations

1. Some equipment is required• Take special care with audio

2. Video pills of 3-7 minutes• Learners watch more time with short videos

http://blog.edx.org/optimal-video-length-student-engagement

edX: Recommended Video Time

http://chili.epfl.ch/page-92267-en.html

EPFL: Keeping Attentionwith Animations or Pointers

Video Types

Person with Blackboard

Person with Experiment

Dialog among People

Person with Images

Person with PPT

PPT with Person

Prezi with Person & Annotations

Person withHTML+JS (Switchable to Web Page)

Writing on Desk

Experiments on Desk

Hand & Pointer over PPT on Paper

Writing & Images

Image Sequences

Writing on Tablet

Writing on Tablet with Images

Writing over PPT (with Animations)

Program on Screen

Writing, Images & Apps

Video Types

Multimedia Learning• Richard E. Mayer:

"Multimedia Learning",Cambridge Univ Press2009

Mayer: Multimedia Learning

Multimedia Learning• People learn better from words and pictures

than from words alone• People learn better from animation and narration

than from animation and on-screen text.• Provide the multimedia lessons in smaller learner-paced

segments rather than as a continuous unit.• Eliminate redundant information• Place corresponding words and pictures near each other• People learn better when corresponding words and pictures

are presented simultaneously rather than successively.• People learn better when extraneous words, pictures, and

sounds are excluded rather than included

1. Multimedia

good

bad

2. Redundancy

good

bad badbad bad

3. Temporal Contiguity

good

bad

4. Interactivity

5. Personalization

conver-sational

formal

6. Modality

good

bad bad

7. Spatial Contiguity

good

bad

8. Coherence

9. Signaling

HIGHlow

10. Individual Differences

What Format should I Choose?• Theory or practice?

What Format should I Choose?• Monologue or conversation?

What Format should I Choose?• The power of interviews with experts

What Format should I Choose?• Indoors or outdoors?• Classroom or recording studio?

Video Content

• Original• Imaginative• Shocking• Worth remembering• Explain complex concepts

in a simple way• Use real-world objects

Video Content

• Start with “misconceptions”• Use demonstrations

https://youtu.be/jeo1R9LskHU

https://youtu.be/54VrCrWqaPU

Video Format

• No need to always see the teacher• In Khan Academy the teacher never appears (only contents)

• Appropriate format (and environment) for each content• Include animations and illustrative pictures

2. Phases ofVideo Production

Pre-production(Planning)

Production(Recording)

Post-production(Editing)

Pre-Production (Planning)• Choice of video type• Choice of location• Choice of accompanying visuals and sounds

Good planning prevents rocketing production costs!

Pre-Production (Planning)• Script• From ideas to a document

• Empowers teacher when recording the video• Can be used with teleprompter• Facilitates the generation of subtitles (closed captions)

• Two columns:• Audio: Full text to be recorded by the teacher• Visual: Shots and instructions for editing

Pre-Production (Planning)• More on the script• One or two concepts per video

• Quality vs. Quantity• Atomic and self-contained

• Put yourself in the student's shoes• Try not to take things for granted• Create a story (storyline)• Pay attention to transitions and topic changes• Write, read, review, rehearse ...

Production (Recording)• The audio is more important than the image• Bad audio quality is annoying and makes lose focus• Avoid the laptop microphone

Production (Recording): Audio

youtu.be/3Y8xtf_nvUg

Production (Recording)• In the recording studio • Lights • Green screen• Teleprompter

• Spontaneity vs. Efficiency • Interrotron

Production (Recording): Lights

youtu.be/LX066IHgZEM

Production (Recording)• Some good practices • Avoid temporary references• Avoid cross-references• Beware of “local” cultural references• Beware of the “local” terms• No need to record videos in their final order

Post-Production (Editing)1. Combine the different shots2. Mixing sound3. Adding labels and animations4. Exporting in appropriate format (e.g., MP4)5. Publishing to YouTube6. Uploading the URL to the platform

• Iterative process with the teacher• It can be long and sometimes painful

Post-Production (Editing)• Software:• Videos:

• Adobe Premier,• After Effects• Camtasia• …

• Audio• Adobe Premier• Audacity• …

Subtitles (Closed Captions)• Students with hearing impairment (accessibility)• Non-native students in the course language

3. Speakingin Front of the Camera

From the “Theatre” To the “Cinema”• From large spaces (classroom)• From moving

around the classroom• From talking to an audience• From having feedback

from learners in situ• From explaining concepts

in a long period of time

• To small spaces (recording studio) • To a static position

in front of the camera• To talking to a camera• To lose direct contact

with the learner• To creating short video pills

Some first Recommendations• Saving words

• Avoid saying "good morning", "good afternoon"...• Avoid personal presentations (use of labels)

• Shots• Usually medium shot (waist up)• Close up just to exaggerate something.

• Establish a personal relationship with the learner• You are talking to one learner. You are looking at one learner.

You are motivating one learner.• Engaging from the beginning and finishing with the feeling

that you want to see the learner again.

Voice• Heat up

• Vocal chords• Breathing

• Syllabicate• Improves understanding• Transmits tranquility

• Strategic pauses• Emphasize important ideas with gestures

Clothing• With green screen avoid:

• Green color• Very thin vertical stripes

• Background / slides• Black background, light clothing• White background, dark clothing

• Very white clothing may reflect lighting• Be comfortable• You can create a character

Body Energy• Relax facial muscles• The importance of gestures

• Smiling implies nice, close attitude• Frowning involves worry, impatience• Excessive gesticulation can lead to distraction

Emotional Energy• Believe in what you are talking about

• Add you own personal touch

• Permanent visual contact with the student• Emotional bond with the learner

Attitude in Front of the Camera• Self-confidence

• Not swinging• Suitable intonation and speed

• Control• Know at any moment what is on the video

• Spontaneity• But practice and repeat

Personalities in Front of the Camera

- The one that shows

- The one that actually has

- The one (s)he believes that has

I do not like being on camera. I look bad in the videos.

I am not afraid of the camera. I have taught many classes like this

I am good at teaching, And I’m good at teaching in videos.

Every person has three personalities

Choose your Best Personality

LOSE YOUR FEAR to be on camera.

EXPOSE YOURSELF to experts and peers

STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

Find strengths and weaknesses after being on

camera.

IMPROVEWork to solve your

problems.

PRACTICERepeat the process to do

it better

4. Copyright Issues

Copyright• Not everything on the Internet is free to use• Most contents (images, videos ...) are protected by

copyright

• Three types of content1. Content with copyright2. Content with “open licenses” 3. Public domain content

1. Content with Copyright• Material with exploitation rights • There is a rights holder• All rights are reserved • Cannot be reused without permission• You could ask the holder for permission• Sometimes full or restricted permission is granted

2. Content with “Open” Licenses• Material with exploitation rights • There is a right holder• Permission to reuse is granted in advance• Respect the conditions of the license• Cite the author and the source

Example: Creative Commons

3. Public Domain Content• Material without copyright• Because it never had it• Because it expired

• We can use it freely• No need to quote author and source• Respect moral rights of the work

What if we do not Have the Information?

• Avoid using the contentbecause it is probably copyrighted• Look for something similar

that serves to the same purpose

Creative Commons• Most popular open licenses• Four elements:• BY: recognition of

author and source• NC: non-commercial use only• ND: no derivative works allowed• SA: derivate work allowed,

but under the same license

https://youtu.be/AeTlXtEOplA

Creative Commons• Six CC licenses

• + CCO (public domain)

• Copyright• Restrictive CC licenses• Open CC licenses and CCO

Creative Commons in MOOCs

• As users of third-party content• Use and attribution (title, author, source and license)

• As authors• Decide which license applies (e.g., BY-NC-SA)

A MOOC has its own global license,but we can indicate that

some content has a more restrictive license

Creative Commons in MOOCs

• Compatibility table

CC BY: Kennisland https://wiki.creativecommons.org/File:CC_License_Compatibility_Chart.png

Best Practices for Reusing Content

• Detecting: • Reverse Internet search (images, book pages)

• (If CC) Take note:• Author, title, source, and license

• (If not CC) Clean:• Redo diagrams, graphics and images• Rewrite text• Replace with equivalent “open” content• Ask for permission to author or publisher

* Right to Quote• “It shall be permissible to make quotations ... provided that

their making is compatible with fair practice, and their extent does not exceed that justified by the purpose”• Use of fragments of copyrighted materials for

educational purposes• Images, videos, sounds…• The extent of the fragment is not specified• “Fair practice is not defined”• Conflicts with national legislations

And the MOOC is global!

* Other Solutions• We can add a link to copyrighted content from

our MOOC (if available on the Internet)

• We can delegate the search for copyrighted materials to learners (books, articles, films ...)

Where to Find “Open” Content? • OpenCourseWare

• UC3M: http://ocw.uc3m.es/

• Creative Commons searcher• https://search.creativecommons.org/

• Pixabay• https://pixabay.com/

• Flickr with Creative Commons• https://www.flickr.com/creativecommons/

• …

Group ActivityDiscuss the top ten best practices

for the production of educational videos in groups of 4-5

Recap• Duration between 3 and 7 minutes• Each video has to be self-contained • Take care of audio quality• Work the script and share it with the technical team• Engage with the student through the eyes• Communicate with passion• Take care for clothing and staging• Use humor, gestures, and images to highlight key concepts• Practice and repeat until satisfied with the result• Take into account the copyright licenses of the materials used

Designing and Producing MOOCs:Part I (Videos)

Carlos Alario-Hoyos, Carlos Delgado KloosUniversidad Carlos III de Madrid@calahoy, @cdkloos

UNESCO Chair on

Scalable Digital Education for All

Spain

United Nations

Educational, Scientific andCultural Organization