OTAN News

Making Your Own Instructional Videos

Image by Mediamodifier from Pixabay

At OTAN, we get questions from teachers from time to time on how to make videos for students or how to add video to a teacher’s class. Now comes a new resource with ideas on how to get started with making instructional videos, especially for those who have never done so before or have limited experience with creating video.

TechSmith is a company with a long history of creating products, including Jing, Snagit, and Camtasia, that help users create video content to share with others. Recently, TechSmith published a free guide, The Ultimate Guide to Easily Make Instructional Videos, with step-by-step instructions on getting started making instructional videos, including:

• Defining what an instructional video is and providing examples of different types of instructional videos, including tutorials, screencasts, and presentation videos

• Identifying common mistakes people make when creating instructional videos: not knowing your audience, trying to make it perfect, and worrying too much about equipment

• How to make an instructional video with screen recording – This is the heart of the guide, with clear steps on how to make a polished instructional video that is well-thought out and addresses your audience

• How to make an instructional video with a camera – This would be the next level of instructional video, following a similar process when making a screen recording

• A discussion of the true cost of making instructional videos - An opportunity to think about when to go it alone and when to hire the pros

TechSmith has free versions of many of its products for you to get started with. You can also use their guide to create videos with other products that are available to teachers for free or for purchase. In addition to the guide, TechSmith also has created the TechSmith Academy, home to free courses with instructional videos to help users create better images and videos.

Make sure to also read our previous OTAN news item Using Video Effectively in Your Instruction to help you think about using video in your classroom, whether it’s video that you create or video you gather from elsewhere.