Here we provide more details
on what it takes to make a video. As we mentioned in the
main article, it is not necessary to
use state of the art technology to prepare a Micro-video. You will need a
quiet place with good lighting, a blackboard or a white board, a digital
camcorder, and a movie editor.
For example, one could use a
hand-held Cannon Vixia HF R100. This is a standard/high definition camera
that records in MPEG4-AVC format. This has a USB terminal which helps
directly transfer your recorded files to your computer. Once you have the
file on your computer you may want to review the file for its audio and
video quality. We have found iMovie software with Macintosh operating system
to be extremely useful in terms of its video editing features. We have used
iMovie to enhance the quality of the audio and to cut the parts of video
that were unnecessary such as idle time or bloopers. The time taken to carry
out the editing process depends on how well prepared you were at the time of
videotaping. If you did a good job at the blackboard, then editing can take
only 15 minutes.
In our experience it took a
couple of tries to get a good product at first. Thus, we strongly recommend
that you start by videotaping yourself explaining a simple 5-minute example.
This will allow you to focus on the video quality rather than on the
specific material. You should observe the same teaching practices you use in
the classroom. That is, do not speak to the board, speak loudly, do not
cover the writing with your body, present the material in an organized way,
and so on. As you watch your first attempt, be sure to check on (a) sound
clarity (audible, clear, distance from camera, microphone), (b) lighting on
the board and on you (watch out for glares!), and (c) readability of your
writing (distance from camera). Once you are satisfied with your 5-minute
video it is best to show it to colleagues and students for feedback.
In our experience, once the
initial challenge of choosing the appropriate content is taken care of, the
making of the videos is a smooth process. Each 10-minute video can take
anywhere from one hour to 3 hours. This includes the time to get the
equipment set and everything ready to record (pre-processing), and the time
to edit the video and make it ready for streaming (post-processing).
We have used a SMART board and have been very satisfied with the quality of the end product. If this technology is available at your institution, we recommend you try it, but it is not necessary for the success of this teaching practice.