7 great instructional videos for online teaching and learning

At Prezi, we’ve seen a rapid growth in video recently, which perhaps is no surprise with the shift to virtual learning. Teachers across all levels and subjects are using Prezi Video to introduce new content, outline assignments, review for tests, and teach essential skills.

Of course, not all videos are created equal. Creating an effective, useful video for online learning requires not only a focus on the learning outcome, but a consideration of the medium and how to utilize it effectively.

Prezi Teacher in Residence Paul Teske has spent a lot of time looking at teacher videos, and thinking about what makes a great instructional video. In his post, he distills his thoughts and outlines them in two videos, using the Community of Inquiry Model as a frame to guide “the what and the why” for a great instructional video.

Here are some examples where teachers are modeling the important attributes of a great instructional video. Read on to see what specifically they’re doing and learn why their videos work so well in online teaching and learning.

1. The teacher as the guide — build a narrative thread between content pieces and use the language of the classroom.

Here are two examples:

Science teacher Brennan McGee connects classroom routines similar to what a student might experience in his classroom. He posts these frequently so that students come to expect these videos (check out his profile page). Bonus: See how he stages his “video thumbnails” to make them fun and encourage kids to watch:

In this second example, Lorri Holloman uses the language of the classroom, and specifically their selected curriculum Core Knowledge, to draw these connections:

2. Cognitive load — group information and concepts into smaller chunks.

As Ava Nguyen moves through this lesson, she makes clear transitions and groups similar information, helping to guide her students:

3. Props — add instant engagement and fun.

ESL teacher Janey Nevarez brings a puppet friend, adding both fun and expectation to each video:

4. Graphics — support your narrative with visuals that can help illustrate relationships between concepts and data.

Teacher Andy Frye uses graphics and images effectively throughout this lesson:

5. Images — use the power of images and engaging design.

Visual arts teacher Monique Pollick selects beautiful images and a design that enhances her presentation:

6. Facetime  — show your face and gestures to bring 120% of your personality!

Teacher Nucleo Vega brings energy and a good use of gesturing to guide and focus student attention:

7. Interactive pauses — encourages student interactivity with a short task

Heather Craner asks her students to pause the video and complete a short reflective task (in their notebooks, in this case). This could also be done inside your learning management system (LMS) as an online discussion prompt or response:

We’ve always been inspired by the teachers on Prezi Video who have created such great instructional videos that help improve and bring life to online classrooms. If you’d like to see some more videos made by teachers, check out the Prezi Video Gallery, where we’ve organized videos by use case. If you’d like help getting started, visit the Educator’s Resource Center.

Paul Teske, Teacher in Residence @ Prezi

Related posts:

• The top 10 EDU blogs from 2020
• What makes a great instructional video
• How to make a video presentation with Prezi in 6 steps