We all know how powerful a medium video can be whether it be for entertainment or informing, but why should you use it in teaching and just what is the best way to create or get the video to help enhance your teaching?

Why Use Video?

There are many reasons how video can be used to help you with your teaching and not only with helping students understand but also to engage with them. Here are a few reasons why video is so widely used in teaching:

• There is not a one size fits all for how students learn. Some like reading, some listening and a significant proportion like learning through video.
• It is difficult to keep students engaged for 60 minutes. Using video online and in the classroom is a great way to keep them engaged.
• Not everything can be shown in a classroom or laboratory so using video can help take them to places outside of the classroom.
• Tricky concepts can be shown through good video and animation.
• Getting students together to create a video gets them not only to understand the concept but also how to present that and work in a team.
• Today’s generation are brought up on video, they do not know what it is like not to have information by video, they thrive on YouTube and learn from the video too.

Here are some quick samples of what you can do with the recording booth.

Creating or Obtaining Video Once you have decided to use video you can either create your own or use from someone else, with their permission of course. If you want to create your own video you can either video it yourself, get someone to make it for you or use one of our recording booths.

If you want to record your own you can do it from your desktop using some software to capture what you are doing on screen, record with you smartphone or use a video camera or DSLR. Whatever one you choose we have workshops and training courses to show you how to prepare, video and edit your video.We also have a recording booth at Mile End in the Scape building to help you make high quality videos with the minimum of fuss, click here to find out how they can help you.

• You can use video from YouTube or Vimeo, both of these can be added to our media server QMplus Media or you can play the videos from either of their websites. If the videos allow you to share you can use their embed code.
• Box of Broadcasts  – bobnational.net – This service provides access to archived broadcasts on UK television that you can use for teaching.
• JISC Media Hub – brings together a wide range of collections of media on a variety of subjects.
• Stock libraries – there are many stock libraries available, some are paid for and some are free. Many of the major broadcasters have material available.

Training Sign up to one of our training courses on:

• Produce compelling screencasts
• Using the recording booths
• Introduction to editing

All our courses can be found here https://www.esdcourses.org.uk/userlistcourse.php

Recording Services

The following services are available to all staff –

• Q-Review enabled rooms – to record your classroom activities
• Q-Review Personal Capture – to record supplementary teaching materials that can go with the lecture recordings.
• Off-Air recordings –  ERA Licence allows QMUL staff to use off-air recordings for teaching purposes
• QMplus Media –  allow users to upload and stream videos via QMplus or via a web interface easily and it also supports mobile devices.