Regardless if you are teaching an online class or in a classroom setting, you cannot deny that visual learning materials help students understand the lessons better while reducing your pressure to explain as the educator. Video animation and presentations have been around for quite a while and using it in class is not a new concept. However, it IS gaining popularity over the years especially now that some schools are now offering online class options.
Video Animations and Presentations in the Classroom
Video animations and presentations are great tools for teaching since it enables you to be an observer instead of the main focus of each class. You can spend more time understanding your students while they are engaged in the video content that they are watching.
However, you cannot simply just play any informational video and expect the students to learn. You need to ensure that the videos you show your class does indeed help them instead of adding clutter to their thoughts.
The best way to ensure that your educational videos are helping your students is to take a deeper look at the video design and production. A custom-made educational video for each topic can help you make sure that you are only giving students information they actually need.
However, having a custom-made video does not mean you need to invest in professional video editors or expensive tools and software. You can make the video yourself using Squigl or another video editing web app. Creating the video yourself allows you to further customize your content and ensure that your students are not overwhelmed by unnecessary information.
Squigl, specifically, allows you to create animation or presentation with an AI-powered editor that can guide you through each step of the way. It also allows you to convert slide presentations or PowerPresentations into fun video clips in just a few moments. You only have to create a video once per topic and you can use it over and over again for different sets of students. It is a great investment in educational materials.
Important Elements of a Video Animation or Presentation
Here are some important elements that you need to create a video presentation for your class:
Script
The script is the foundation of any video presentation. It contains the scenes, lines, and information that you want to see in your content.
Storyboard
A storyboard allows you to map out an outline of the text and visuals that you want to see on your video. You can note what kind of effects you want to use, the things you want the narrator to say, or even what graphics you want to add to the scene.
Design Principles
Before you start putting your script and storyboard to use, you need to establish the following to ensure that you are applying the correct design principles:
Make sure that a video animation or presentation is the best option for the topic.
It is undeniable that a video presentation makes it easier for educators to explain complex topics, but not every topic needs to be a video. Some topics require a certain level of participation from your students for them to understand the lesson better.
Ask yourself if you can add some engaging activities within the video so the students can feel more involved in the lessons.
Establish your objectives.
Do you want to use a video to deliver facts and concepts or to teach skills? You need to make the purpose of the video clear to help students focus on what matters.
Make sure that you can support your video animation with additional activities.
It is one thing for the students to understand a lesson, and it is another thing to reinforce learning through activities. Evaluate your student progress through short quizzes or discussions.
In a Nutshell
You need to be intentional when creating a video animation for class. You need to make the objectives and facts clear to avoid confusing the students.
It is not enough that your videos are educational, you also need to make sure that the videos are engaging to make sure that your students will pay attention from start to finish.
You also need to make sure that the video is long enough to be able to adequately explain the topic but short enough not to bore students during class.
Lastly, you want to customize it to show more personality and enforce engagement. The whole point of making the video yourself is to make a video, especially for your students.
You can start creating your videos now with Squigl. It is equipped with unique strategies to engage your audience and boost retention.
