Tips on creating effective pre-recorded video lectures

Some lecturers find it easier to begin by pre-recording lectures and sharing them with students via the VLE or LMS. Discover how to make the most of the positives and manage the negatives: 

1. You may be less worried about making mistakes as you can re-record your video if necessary. However, this raises the temptation to endlessly re-record difficult sections. Remember you are not aiming for perfection. Share it with a colleague for objective feedback and reassurance.

2. You don’t need to replicate the format of your traditional lectures. Students have many distractions at home, so it’s more difficult to keep their attention particularly for passive learning. Instead, break it into much shorter sections with distinct goals; introducing a concept, exploring applications, providing a walkthrough, or reviewing a task. Support video content with other activities to provide variety and give your students different ways to access concepts and content.

3. Pre-recorded lectures are asynchronous learning – your students can study at the time when they are most able to learn and take breaks when they need to. However, students may miss the energy that comes from live discussion and being there in person. Introduce a human component to learning by setting activities for small groups that require participation and interaction. They can work on these at a distance using virtual meeting and project management tools. 

4. If you are confident, or have the necessary support, add visuals to video to emphasise the key points – bullet points, images, workings or diagrams (see the Rapid Transition to Online Learning course for some great examples of how to do this).  It’s also helpful to provide a visual recap at the end of the video. 

5. Maintaining a relationship with your students is important. If you are using slides, make sure that your face is visible to welcome them at the beginning of the session. This short connection can be particularly important for students who are feeling isolated. Students will also appreciate the inclusion of some live lectures or seminars. If this is not possible, be active on any forum or discussion groups, drawing out students’ ideas and sharing your expertise. Ask students to submit questions and create a bespoke video with your response. This will help strengthen your relationship with your students.  

6. Follow up your video with an activity to help students consolidate and apply their learning. You may even wish to include activities during the video. For example, they can press pause and work through a question before pressing to play to see the answer. 

7. Let your students know how to get in touch with you with any questions, but you may also ask them for feedback on your lectures. By inviting constructive criticism, you may find you receive useful suggestions from your students and are able to improve. If you are concerned by any of the feedback talk to your ed-tech team or a colleague.