Content Creation Framework
This content creation framework can help you to decide what type of medium you might use to best deliver your content.
Remember that the first question is always, what would best deliver this content? NOT what type of video should I make?
AFTER you have decided that video or interactive content is appropriate, this framework includes information on different video formats, as well as interactives to help you decide which type would best serve your purposes.
| Media Type/Format | Class | Includes | When to Use | Best Practices | Exemplar | Potential Obstacles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Talking Head | Video | Person/People | When you need to connect with people over content that is not super critical or complex like introducing a module When you need to show a physical object When you need to demonstrate something live When you'd like to motivate or inspire people about big ideas | Have a clear and concise message with examples and stories being relevant to topic [not rambling off-topic or tangential] Deliver the message with energy/upbeat [natural to you but not monotone] Use the video as an opportunity to for viewers to make connection with you as a person | Veratasium https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMPzDiraNnA Intro to Lecture 1 [MIT]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdFrWzyYoQg Jon and Ramesh: Embedded Systems Intro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXXbmqezlwM | Not keeping focused on the essential message by improving what you will say rather than planning out what is covered |
| Common Craft | Video | Manipulatives | When you have a story to tell or process that can be done with a limited number or manipulatives that can be moved around a confined space | Select the right amount of manipulatives to share your story for each scene Ensure movement is clean and adds to the story told/point made Use opportunity to create visualizations that help learner make sense of the concept or process | Common Craft Social Media 101: | Creating the manipulatives or buying into Common Craft Storyboarding what is said with what manipulatives are involved and where they are located within space plus their movement during that scene |
| FIZZ/Paper Slides | Video | 6-8 pre-written whiteboards/papers | When you want to present ideas/concepts with a personalized feel rather than the picture in PowerPoint | Boards should be completed in advance with one essential concept/idea per board Deliver the message while looking at camera not at the board [script and rehearse] Deliver with energy [not monotone nor over the top animated] Boards should be set up so as to be seamlessly shifted off camera | How I Flipped My Classroom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMfSLXluiSE How to make a paper slide video: | Collecting 6-8 Whiteboards; placing the right amount of content per board Practicing before performing to minimize reading from the board rather than looking into the camera |
| Whiteboard Animations | Video | Whiteboard animation with drawings and words | Useful for explaining concepts Alternative to common craft/FIZZ style videos | Tells a compelling story with minimum text and maximum visuals; space optimized by moving around the board and returning to areas to add another piece of info or highlight the image | Daniel Pink: | Developed using mostly paid programs (Videoscribe, Powtoon, GoAnimate, etc.) Storyboarding what content goes where on the whiteboard and in what order the content appears Pacing |
| High Production Video | Video | Greenscreens/animations | When you have considerable resources AND the animations that would aid in the explanation of a dynamic process or complex idea | Message should be clear and concise Animation should be used help learner understand the principles being discussed Graphics should have a clean, uncluttered feel Especially useful for concepts that are too small, too far away, and/or too fast to see with the naked eye or happens within a "black box" | Vanden Bout CH301: | Needs Money, Graphic Designers/Animators, it truly takes a production team to pull off all the facets of this approach Making the right choice regarding why the topic would be best served using this approach |
| Presentation | Screencast | Making a presentation via PowerPoint, Keynote, Prezi; Pechu Kucha | When you have pictures, images, charts, graphs that will aid the student in understanding the concepts/ideas being presented AND the student will benefit by your presentation, as opposed to just reading | Each slide should minimize text essential to the idea [6 words] Use visuals like photo/image/graph/table/chart Use simple animations, where appropriate Message should be clear and concise with examples/stories supporting the essential ideas/concepts being covered [not rambling off topic] Deliver with energy [not monotone or overly animated voice]. | Khan Academy: | Not keeping focused on the essential message by improving what you will say rather than planning out what is covered Overloading slides with text Selecting this because it is the easiest path rather than the best choice for delivering content |
| Tablet Capture | Screencast | Wacom Tablets, iPads, Androids, and Surface Pros | When you need to show how to solve a problem or think through a comparison especially in symbol heavy disciplines or annotating an image in real time | Exceptional tool for explaining problem solving techniques, or symbol-laden topic where it is easier to write them out Make comparisons among ideas/types/concepts In problem solving, break down the essential steps and explain why a certain pathway was taken versus what novices may have chosen AND/OR discuss alternative ways for solving the problem correctly [rarely is there a single way]. | Ramesh Yerraballi using- Y-draw tool in Embedded Systems | Presenting content with good pace; not overloading learner with screen dump of content while either talking rapidly or off topic Avoiding the "Expert-Blindspot" where the person explaining the problem forgets what it was like being a novice and fails to explain the thinking behind key decisions made in the problem solving process. Novices tend to focus on superficial features of the problem & select a problem solving pathway based on these features. So it is critical that the presenter explicitly explains their problem solving pathway [which can be challenging for experts have automatized certain steps] |
| How to Video/Demo | Screencast | Screencasting/ screen recording app/program | When you need to show how to do something within an app/program or showcase features of a program or app When you need to showcase how to do something with manipulatives | Focus on the technique being explored starting with the most essential steps for using the tool to complete the task and THEN explain more advanced features or tricks that can be applied. In a step-by-step procedure, be clear and concise while ensuring that the learner can track what to do inside the app/program [not skipping steps especially for beginning techniques]. Use annotation tools to help the learner track along with the process. |
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| Interactive Video | Interactive | When you need to engage learners in the midst of them watching the video to check for understanding When you have a series of videos that learners can use to choose to follow a pathway or scenario | For embedding questions inside a video, strike the right balance between questions and content delivery by inserting questions associated with essential ideas and concepts. Immediate feedback is critical here so as to direct learner to go back to a specific point in the video to rewatch that section or be directed to read a section in their textbook. | Choose a different ending: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFVkzYDNJqo H5P: https://h5p.org/interactive-video PlayPosit: | Finding the right balance between content presented and questions asked Being able to implement these techniques with YouTube and other hosting Accessibility Immediate feedback so learners know to review the content they just watched | |
| Story/Scenario Based Interactives | Interactive | A scenario, story, or interaction that you want the user to work through. Problems they solve during the scenario test their ability to apply knowledge | When you want learners to explore a story or scenario and get intrinsic feedback on their decisions | Provide a compelling story that helps students to practice performance-based objectives Offer intrinsic feedback - allow the users to make mistakes and learn from them. Put content delivery into other venues, such as handouts, attached documents, etc. | Simple, text-based: https://s3.amazonaws.com/cathymooremedia/zeko.html Simple, game-based scenario with unified visuals: https://community.articulate.com/e-learning-examples/storyline-2-information-security-game Video scenario: http://demos-assets.jpllearning.com/pavtn/invisible-wounds/story.html Practice Scenario with animations and compelling visuals: http://www.lsteam.org/projects/interactive-elearning-tools/good-laboratory-practices-glp Strong visuals with audio for engaging context: https://community.articulate.com/e-learning-examples/storyline-2-soft-skills-graphic-novel-demo Complex examples: http://blog.cathy-moore.com/2010/05/elearning-example-branching-scenario/ http://brokencoworker.com/demos/
| Coming up with a compelling, performance based scenario/story Focusing on performance and application of knowledge Allowing students to fail and see the consequences of their decisions Spending time to plan and build |
| Exploratory Interactives | Interactive | Graphics, animation, sound | When you want learners to be able to explore a process, tool, time or other content | Ranging from the simple to the complex, don't shy away from exploratory interactives because you think you can't make one | Simple Rollover: http://www.nytimes.com/ref/business/20070715_GILDED_GRAPHIC.html Complex choice based exploration: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/upshot/buy-rent-calculator.html Complex 3d Exploration: https://community.articulate.com/e-learning-examples/storyline-2-slider-controlled-exploration Other Explorations: http://www.nbcnews.com/id/37602704/ https://h5p.org/image-juxtaposition https://h5p.org/image-hotspots
| Time and resources to create the graphics and interactions |
| Dynamic Conversations | Interactive | When you want to simulate a conversation When you want to allow learners to step through a concept or process and receive feedback | Conversation with targeted feedback requires building successive appropriately challenging scenarios that engages the learner to apply what they know while receiving targeted feedback when they have gone astray. Ideally direct misguided learners to revisit specific concepts of address misconceptions | Oppia: https://www.oppia.org/explore/1 Customer Conversation Training: | Breaking down the steps into appropriate level of challenge for Conversation with Targeted Feedback; |