7 Things You Should Know About Blackboard and Video

Videos can be a great teaching medium. They can provoke discussions, invite learners to analyze and think, be re-watched as needed, emotionally engage students, and much more. Here are 7 tips for using video effectively in your Blackboard course.

You can embed videos directly into Blackboard

Did you know that rather than providing a text link for students that you can embed video directly into Blackboard? This means that students stay engaged in the course content. A link to YouTube might distract students with the abundance of competing content. Embedding that same video within Blackboard means that students have the benefit of the resource but can stay within the course, focusing on the related instructional materials and avoiding distraction.

You can provide closed captions

Providing captions with video content is a best practice because it makes the content accessible to all learners. Captions can even promote learning by emphasizing content in a different mode. Technical and discipline specific vocabularies are easier to grasp with the aid of captions. Closed captions are searchable, so a student reviewing for an exam can search for specific terms and easily find the relevant section of a lecture or presentation.

Students can submit video assignments

Tired of reading essays and grading exams? Blackboard allows students to create, upload, and share videos with the instructor or with the class. Video gets students more involved in their learning by having to create and synthesize information. Group video projects can bring together a variety of skills and create new learning opportunities.

Video analytics help you assess

New features allow for video in Blackboard to be analyzed and assessed. An instructor can get detailed information about which students have watched, how long they watched, and how many times. This can help instructors to focus their energies on creating meaningful video content that will engage students. Detailed data around student interaction with video content gives instructors greater insight into the effectiveness of their lecture content.

Social presence is increased by video

One of the biggest factors inhibiting student success in online courses is a feeling of isolation. Video is a great way for instructors to bring in their personality and experience to share with students. Because students can hear your voice and see your facial expressions, they feel there is an authentic presence behind the digital interface. Providing this social presence contributes to student success by overcoming feelings of isolation.

Video liberates the lecture from traditional formats

Instructors new to online teaching have a tendency to reproduce the format of the traditional classroom in the online environment. This means multi-hour long lectures delivered without much interaction or feedback. But technology removes many constraints, freeing up instructors to use their lecture time for one-on-one consultation or small group work. Video lectures can be recorded anywhere using mobile devices, so instructors can take their students out of the confines of the computer and into situations and experiences.

Video allows for personalized feedback

Criticism can be difficult to take from any source. For students, critical feedback is an essential part of the learning process. Text-based feedback is valuable but can be misunderstood by students. With video, instructors can provide individual and personal feedback to students. Video can transmit the connotation, facial expressions, nonverbal language, and intonation of the speaker so that students get a clearer picture of the instructor’s message.