Although creating videos with Zoom is relatively simple, there are several factors to consider when planning and implementing Zoom videos. Careful planning and preparation will help ensure that the content is useful and appealing to your target audience. Here are a few key points to consider:
Video design
Consider how the learning material will be integrated into other parts of the course and what kind of monitoring and assessment will be associated with the video assignments. When designing and implementing a learning video, the learning experience should be the primary goal, supported by all technical and content-related solutions.
Purpose and target audience of the video
- Consider the educational objectives of the video.
- Who is the video intended for? (e.g., first-year students, graduate students, students in a specific course).
Video content and structure
- Use clear and concise language.
- Divide the content into clear sections or modules.
- Design the video to support the learning objectives (e.g., examples, exercises, key concepts).
Video length
- Short (5–10 minute) videos hold students' attention better than long lectures.
- Consider dividing the content into several shorter videos if the topics are broad.
Visual appearance
- Make your slides clear and simple; do not fill them with too much text.
Accessibility
- Ensure that the video is accessible, for example, through subtitles and clear language.
Finally: Practice your presentation in advance so that you can deliver it smoothly and naturally.
Before recording the video
Ensure that your internet connection is stable. Zoom video recording cannot be performed without an internet connection.
Before recording the actual video, it is a good idea to make a test recording so that you can check the sound quality, lighting, visibility of the material being presented, and other technical aspects. Making corrections afterwards can be very laborious or even impossible.
When making a video, it is advisable to use the highest quality webcam and microphone possible to ensure that the video image and sound are clear and free of interference. Make sure that the sound level of the test video is appropriate and that there is no background noise (e.g., loud air conditioning noise). Sound quality is very important for a good recording, and correcting it afterwards requires special software.
Choose a recording location with as few distractions as possible. If you are making the video at home, for example, make sure that no one will disturb the recording.
Also, make sure that the area appearing in the video is tidy. Use a digital background if you do not want your home to appear in the picture.
Also check that the lighting is adequate and of good quality. Never film against the light (e.g., with a window behind you). The light should come from the front or above at an angle. Movable lights make it easy to adjust the lighting at home (e.g., a reading lamp).
Test recording and recording
Once you have checked the above, you can start making a test recording. Open the Zoom app and click the "New Meeting" button. This will immediately start a new meeting with you as the only participant.
Check the Zoom camera and microphone settings and make sure that the camera and microphone are activated. They should be on by default, but if they are not, you can turn them on by clicking the camera and microphone icons.
If you are using presentation material such as PowerPoint slides in your video, open your presentation material to share it in Zoom.
Once everything you need is ready, start recording by clicking the "Record" button and selecting a storage location (computer or cloud).
Zoom records everything you say and show on camera or share on your screen. You can present the content either by speaking freely to the camera or by sharing a presentation or other visual content you have prepared in advance on your screen. You can also combine free-flowing speech to the camera with presentation sharing. You can pause parts of the presentation as desired by pressing the "Pause" button.
When you are ready, click "Stop Recording" and then "End Meeting." Zoom will save the video to the location you selected (on your computer or in the cloud). If you saved the recording to the cloud, you will receive a separate notification in your email when it is ready. The message will include links to download the video.
Once you have made the test recording and any necessary adjustments, you can start recording the actual video. If you notice that there is an error in your presentation, you can pause the recording for a moment, collect your thoughts, and redo the part that went wrong. It is relatively easy to remove mistakes afterwards by editing the video. In shorter videos, it may be wise to start the recording from the beginning if a mistake occurs.
Editing and publishing the video
The video is saved in mp4 format. You can play it back on any video player.
Watch the recorded video all the way through to make sure everything went as planned. After recording, you can edit the video as needed. It is not necessarily advisable to make major changes, but if you notice problems or shortcomings, it may sometimes be quicker to re-record.
When editing, try to cut out only unnecessary parts and add subtitles if necessary. University of Helsinki students and staff can use the Screenpal editing program. Installation and user instructions for the program can be found on the HelpDesk website. For subtitling, we recommend using Spoken's paid subtitling service.
The video is published by uploading it to the Unitube uploader and selecting the publication method there (Moodle area for the course, link, or openly visible on the internet). Instructions for the Unitube uploader can be found on the HelpDesk page. Instructions for linking to Moodle can be found in the Moodle instructions. Video files are large, so we do not recommend sending them directly to viewers as files.
Feedback
After the course, collect feedback from students in the course feedback form on the effectiveness of the videos and their learning experience through the videos. You can then use this feedback in the planning and production of video material for the next course.