Educational Videos for Teaching
Case
It all started with Associate Professor Carsten Nico Hjortsø from Department of Food and Resource Economics, struggling with his ongoing frustration over the balancing act between lecture time and student engagement. His passion for hands-on teaching often clashed with the more traditional approach. However, an idea struck him, inspired by the Flipped Classroom method, which completely transformed his teaching style.
Carsten Nico (for future reference Nico) had for a long time considered recording his lectures but felt constrained by time. However, during the Corona pandemic, he seized the opportunity and started recording his lectures using Zoom. Nico found it fulfilling, and even after the pandemic, he continued to refine and develop the instructional videos. This innovative approach, which started as a temporary solution, has now become a permanent and integrated part of his teaching.
Over the past two years, Nico has been refining his educational videos. He sought help from ITLC, where we together made the videos more professional. The students watch the videos at home before class, which gives them time to prepare questions and thoughts about the day’s topic. In class they have time for discussions, debates, and practical exercises based on the pre-learned material. This approach has made teaching more dynamic and efficient. You can see one of Nico’s course videos. He got free assistance from the ITLC media production team.
Good advice from Nico for creating educational videos
- Start small: start by making some Zoom recordings or use the equipment you have available. It is a good idea to start by recording two or three lessons in one semester and gradually increase the production if it works well. Zoom recordings provide a good starting point, and from there, the process can evolve in terms of scope, complexity, and execution.
- Learn from your experiences and adapt along the way: Try different methods and learn from your experiences. It is important to figure out what works best for you and your students. Be open to adjustments and adaptations during the process.
- Do not strive for perfection: When you start recording, it is normal to encounter mistakes. It is important to remember that it does not have to be perfect from the beginning. Allow yourself to evolve gradually and focus on improvement rather than striving for perfection.
- Consider your approach to the script: When you get to the point in the process where you are ready to record, take the time to reflect on whether you want to use a script or prefer a more spontaneous approach. Some prefer to have a script written in advance, while others prefer to lecture more freely. Consider what best suits your teaching style and desired outcome.
- Seek help and support when needed: Educational videos can seem confusing at the beginning of the process but remember that ITLC are always ready to assist you. ITLC can guide you in creating professionalism in your educational videos.
If you want to hear more about Nico´s work, you can listen to this podcast.
Help from ITLC
At ITLC, we have collaborated with Nico on the development of these professional educational videos. We have assisted with planning, production, editing, including the use of graphics. During filming, we use the green screen technique, which allows us to edit the background and integrate videos, presentations, or effects to create a more engaging educational experience. You can also get free professional assistance to produce engaging videos for your course.
If you find this interesting for your teaching, you can participate in our video workshop. Here, you will learn, among other things, how to record and edit educational videos.