Internet Learning Volume 5, Number 1, Fall 2016/Winter 2017 | Page 52

on the research, to identify the critical
path to enable lecturers to make video
work with minimum frustration. Essential
messages are to suggest small
projects, short in length to achieve just
one teaching objective rather than a
major scheme for a whole course. The
software can be explored while quickly
producing a usable product. Association
with familiar technologies helps.
For example, video editing interfaces
are really nothing more than Power-
Point, but with all the various views at
once on one screen. As a result, the lecturer
can quickly assimilate the flow of
input and output of content across the
interface. The next task is to understand
why and how all database files, original
source video and output video should
be kept within one folder. This information
will resolve many of the initial
frustrations and errors. The third principle
is that long recordings very quickly
take up computer memory and file
storage. Either the software or the computer
or both grind to a halt. Therefore,
long lectures and big projects are to be
avoided until higher specifications of
resources are available. iShowU with its
easy-to-plan-and-execute show and tell
method-enabled quick testing of the effectiveness
and the reconfiguring of the
explanations.
Also the author experimented
with a method to quickly create a range
of media resources into a video production.
Drag into the iShowU Instant
recording area, from the screen desktop,
prepared drawings, photographs
in their own software, PowerPoint
slideshows, or play another video input
from an external video source such as
Teach like a Video Journalist Thinks
51
an iPhone. In a short time, rough and
ready but quite complex presentations
can be created with the lecturer voiceover.
They might be edited later in a
more advanced program such as Adobe
Premiere or Final Cut Pro X. Both of
these programs are used to make major
movie productions, but are inexpensive
to purchase and quick and easy to use.
For example, a powerful computer and
large amounts of storage are soon needed
to load and edit a full 2 hour lecture.
The trick is only to load into the editing
software just the sections that are needed
to get the main messages across.
There seems a great deal that can
be done to improve the whole production
process for lecturers, from setting
up the room for video to begin working
on an effective presentation style, by applying
the video journalist’s tricks in an
education context. These ideas were explored
in workshops for teaching staff.
Online Student Video Feedback
A
further opportunity occurred
to demonstrate video methods
that may improve the quality of
learning. A new group of students were
just beginning their course at Middlesex
University with the author. The student
tutor group, were 16 B.A. (Hons)
Education student teachers starting
their final year thesis which is called a
dissertation in this particular course.
The problem is to improve academic
writing styles. Students have
limited experience of academic writing
and also most speak several languages
besides English, which generates a