Best Practices for Online Video

Keeping the following tips in mind for recording video and web conferencing with mobile devices like cell phones and laptops can significantly improve your audience's experiences and ensure that your video elements can be used for several semesters to come:

1. Keep your videos short - break lessons into segments of less than 10 minutes
2. Create a script for your video to keep you on track, where possible (you can also provide the script to students to meet Universal Design for Learning principles)
   1. Avoid time-based references to make your video more reusable
3. Make sure your device is charged or plugged in (laptop) when possible
   1. Some devices automatically dim the screen or disable USB ports when not plugged in
   2. Devices can go through a charge quickly when running video and audio over the Internet
4. Turn a phone or tablet horizontally (landscape) when recording video
   1. This will show up better on a majority of devices (no black bars, better resolution) 
5. Check your lighting
   1. No bright lights behind you (including windows)
   2. The more light, the better the picture
6. Remove anything distracting from the background
   1. Be careful of objects like plants or lamp stands that may look like they're coming out of your head
7. Check your sound
   1. Use a headset or USB microphone when possible to cut down on ambient noise and improve sound quality
   2. Mute your mic when not in use
   3. Remove noisy distractions such as pets, AC, fans, children, typing, etc. when recording
8. Test beforehand when possible
   1. The more you can practice, the less surprising the technology will be and the more comfortable you will appear
9. Never upload your video directly to the Learning Management System (i.e. Blackboard Learn or Brightspace). Store your finished videos in a secure cloud location like Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive and create a link to share with your students/instructor OR use a Media Server like YuJa Video - it is specifically designed to manage and publish your video and audio files.
10. Make sure your finished video meets accessibility standards
    1. Does your video still make sense when you close your eyes and listen to the video?
    2. Request Captioning

Using PowerPoint to create Videos?

1. Avoid references to specific slides or slide numbers
2. Avoid hyperlinks and embedded video (chunk materials to work around this)
3. Reduce the amount of text on the slide (more graphics and images)

Other resources

1. Best Practices for Using Video in Online Learning (Topkit)
2. The "Perfect" Instructional Video (Carleton College)
3. Effective Educational Videos: Principles and Guidelines for Maximizing Student Learning from Video Content
4. TED Talks' 18-Minute Rule Sets the Perfect Length for a Sales Pitch
5. 10 Tips for Creating Effective Instructional Videos