Incorporating videos into your course can be an effective way of delivering content and engaging students using a combination of media. Consider the benefits:
- Short videos (also known as microlearning videos) can help students focus on a single concept and maximize their retention of information.
- The combination of text, visuals, and audio helps reinforce concepts and promote deeper, multi-sensory learning.
- Videos are accessible on multiple devices enabling students to access them via desktops, laptops, and mobile devices.
- Videos can be created once and reused again for future iterations of a course.
You can embed videos anywhere in your Canvas course – within announcements, pages, discussion forums, assignments, and quizzes.
Four Types of Instructional Videos
Explore the four types of instructional videos below and consider if any can be used to supplement your course content and deepen learning for your students.
| Video Type |
Description |
|---|---|
| Relate |
Relate videos create a connection between you and your students and demonstrate your active presence in the course. They can motivate students by asking them to reflect on their backgrounds and prior experiences in relation to a topic, as well as their goals for the course. Examples: Welcome Videos, Overview Videos, Online Discussion Videos, Summary Videos, Reflective Videos, etc. |
| Narrate |
Narrate videos allow you to share stories, best practices, lessons learned, case studies, anecdotes, and scenarios that place course concepts within the context of the real world. Examples: Lecture Explainer Videos, Case Study Videos, Documentary Videos, Vignettes, Expert Interview Videos, Guest Speaker Videos, etc. |
| Demonstrate |
Demonstrate videos show students how to do something step-by-step. They can also demonstrate how students will complete assignments and apply what they've learned. Examples: Procedural Videos, Screencast Videos, Screen Tour Videos, Walk-throughs, etc. |
| Debate |
Debate videos can challenge and change the way students think about a concept by addressing common misconceptions and presenting competing points of view. Examples: Roundtable Interviews, Video Reviews, Debates, etc. |
Content adapted from Amy Ahearn's article, "Beyond Videos: 4 Ways Instructional Designers Can Craft Immersive Educational Media."
Watch Video Samples
In this video, you will see samples of the Four Types of Instructional Videos. To view subtitles for this video, click CC on the video player.