A student-centric approach in making instructional videos for blended learning courses : video production guideline for educators

The purpose of this thesis project was to conduct an explorative study on how to make effective instructional videos for a blended learning environment. There are four objectives formulated for the study. The first objective was to identify best practices and principles that make an instructional video effective and engaging. The second was to assess suitable tools and equipment that are used to record and edit educational videos. The third was to create video production guidelines on how to self-produce instructional videos. The final objective was to record, edit, and produce instructional video samples. The theoretical framework was guided by the cognitive theory of multimedia learning that explains how students learn from multimedia lessons and how educational video content creators achieve instructional goals. Learning experiences of both asynchronous and synchronous e-Learning were also addressed. This study was conducted using a student-centric approach where the focus is on the student needs while technology is adjusted to support the learning process. Primary data was collected through testing and benchmarking of digital tools used for screen recording and video production. Improvements were implemented according to the client’s feedback delivered via Zoom video interviews and email correspondence. This served as the basis for how the learning content was formulated and was also used to guide the content of the instructional video samples. There were two outcomes for this study: the first were the video production guidelines that present a step-by-step instruction on how to record and edit instructional videos. The second outcome consisted of sample videos that integrate the key findings on effective practices and principles in making instructional videos. ; All deliverables from this thesis can be accessed at https://poncardas.com/thesis/