Creating videos for education has never been easier, yet many educators and content creators struggle with finding the right tools to bring their ideas to life, making it hard to know where to even get started. The right tools can simplify video production, improve student engagement, and enhance blended teaching learning videos, making educational content more effective for both in-person and online learners. But with so many options available, where should you start?
As a content creator with over 100K subscribers on my Youtube channel and countless positive comments from educators and learners, I’ve tested a variety of tools that make video in education both simple and effective. Whether you’re a teacher, trainer, or online educator, these tools will help you create professional, engaging videos with ease. Let’s dive into the essentials so you can get started.
Essential Foreword
Just before I get into video tools, one essential nugget of advice I want to pass on is that you should recognise how good you already are at making videos for education even if you’ve never made one. Sounds odd, right? Well hear me out: if you’re reading this you are probably an experienced educator who knows your subject, and who has a talent for explaining things to learners, and that is the bulk of what makes a quality education video.
The other aspects of a quality video (sound quality, lighting, video editing technique, how expensive your camera is…) are far less significant, and you might improve on these aspects of quality over time, but they’re lower on the priority list than the academic quality of what you’re producing. Ultimately my message is, don’t sweat the small stuff, and don’t let trivial details delay you in getting started making videos. Perfection is the enemy of progress.
Method One – Overhead camera (best for worked examples)
Consider what you would present students if you had a whiteboard and whiteboard pen. You can present in a similar way on video using a pen and paper. This method also ideal of working through practice problems, showing students model solutions.
Research shows worked examples reduce cognitive load (compared to students learning by doing problem solving), aid with retention and improve test scores. A great strategy for making effective education videos, therefore, would be to use live modelling, showing your hands holding a pen working through the content or solving example problems. Here’s an example of me doing this a few minutes into my Magnification Explained video.
(Source)
All you need to make this work is your smartphone and a method to rig it up. You can just stack up some books and lean your phone over so the camera is over the edge pointing downwards. A clamp stand like this on Amazon will make it more convenient if you’re willing to spend (a little bit of) money but it’s not essential (and I did promise “free” solutions!).
My typical approach when doing this style of video is to create a couple of practice exam-style questions as the examples to walk through, but it just depends on your subject matter and what you want to communicate; you can explain almost anything with pen and paper.
If you’re taking a flipped or blended approach to your course this is a great method for blended teaching learning videos because it makes your videos feel more like an extension of your classroom; it shows your handwriting and your explanation style and will make students feel more like they’re experiencing your (virtual) class.
Method Two – Open Broadcaster Software, OBS (most versatile)
Think of OBS as a fully blank canvas. It is intended as a live streaming tool but it also has a record feature, making it ideal for making videos for education.
With OBS you can combine any elements you want onto one screen. Here are some example layouts you might want:
- A presentation with your face on webcam in the corner
- Your webcam alongside an overhead camera where you do practice problems.
- Any other arrangement you can think of!
OBS also allows you to flick between what they call “scenes”; you might be showing your Google Slides in full screen then at the click of a button the screen is now showing you on camera, then the next scene shows a full-screen image that you want discuss… the possibilities are endless.
And yes, OBS is free – you can download it here.
Method Three – Google Slides (most convenient)
Assuming you have a Workspace account (i.e. you have an account via your school/college) you can use the record feature on Google Slides. Sadly the feature doesn’t seem to be available on personal accounts.
Open up your presentation, press record near the top right, then click Record new video. The rest is pretty intuitive.
One great feature of this is the option to turn your camera on/off so you can show your face on the video. Showing your face in the videos makes them more personal and can increase the level of engagement and so it’s a good option to consider if you feel comfortable doing that.
Method Four – Microsoft PowerPoint
Microsoft Powerpoint has its own record feature. Exactly how to make a video will differ depending on your version of PowerPoint but look for a record button near the top and you’re good to go.
Method Five – Apple Keynote (best visuals [but Mac/iOS only)]
If you’re a Mac or iPad user your can use Apple’s Keynote software. This is my personal preference for make visuals for my videos because the shapes and animations options make it ideal for making slightly more complex visuals for the scientific concepts I need to explain. Here’s one of my ecology explainers that shows a good example of the visual quality in Keynote.
When your presentation is ready click on Play > Record Slideshow and follow the instructions.
You can also do this on the iPad version (look for Record audio on the toolbar). I don’t see an option to do this on the iPhone version, however.
My Process
I’ve been making videos for my youtube channel for over 10 years and I use a combination of different tools. Some of those tools are not free, and the methods I use are not necessarily the most simple. If you’re just figuring out how to make your video video for education, I wouldn’t use the methods below. However, to give you an idea of how I produce videos like this one, my video content production process often has the following workflow:
Scripting
First I write the script for my video making sure its concise but sounds natural. I re-read and edit it a few times before moving on. My goal when scripting is to make sure I use as few words as possible without omitting any details. While I can do voice overs off-the-cuff, I find I’m less inclined to unnecessarily re-iterate an idea, or throw in erm and er here and there.
Creating Visuals – Apple Keynote
I create slides with appropriate animations, making sure any animations (text/images or other elements moving around the screen) are well thought-out to make the concepts more clear. I like to ensure a word or image only appears the moment the concept is verbalised so that learners aren’t looking at a screen full of information trying to figure out where their eyes should be looking.
Record the Voice Over in Reaper
I record the voice over on its own in DAW software Reaper (the full-feature version is available free as a trial here). I like to get it sounding natural, without the distraction of keeping the visuals in time with what I’m saying (that comes later). I also edit the recording to raise the level, EQ it, remove background noise etc.
Edit in Final Cut Pro
In Final Cut Pro I drop a video export of my presentation along with my voice-over recording. All I have to do now is cut and move the visuals around to match the timing of the voiceover (and believe it or not this by far the most time-consuming part of the whole process!)
Final Thoughts
Whatever method you go for, my advice is to just go for it and not be put off by the technology. It’s easy to fixate on the minor details when making videos for education, especially if you’re a bit of a perfectionist. But perfection is the enemy of progress, and perfectionism regarding video “quality” is perhaps of little importance compared to the educational quality of what you’re presenting.
The educational value of sharing content via video with your students can be huge so just dive right in! With the tools available now it has never been easier.