Create eLearning Resources

Data shows that most people only engage with the first minute of a video and then viewership drops off considerably. In fact, the shorter the video the more someone will watch. If you’ve created a 3-minute video, most people will watch 1 minute or less (or 1/3 of the video). If you create a 1-minute video, most viewers will watch most of the video.   

Short videos should be focused on a specific task or idea and be between 1-3 minutes long. Create multiple videos in a series for complex or multi-stepped processes to allow users the ability to jump quickly to the information they seek.   

• Identify the goal of your video and the problem it is trying to solve. 
• Know your audience and be clear about who it is for: Undergrad, Grad, Faculty, skill level required, if possible, department or area of interest etc. 
• Identify one learning outcome per video 
  • If you have more than one learning outcome, consider creating a series of short videos.  

Create a summary 

Create plot points to establish the flow and content of your video. Try to break it down into main points and summarize what you want to accomplish in each section. Brainstorm ideas about ways to begin your video and how to conclude it.  

Scripting 

Your script is the voiceover, dialogue or questions you read in your video.  

To help organize and structure your video,  

• Use a script template to help plan. Try to limit yourself to one sentence per box on the script template to allow for more complete storyboards. 
• Create chapter headings or sections to provide structure and make it easy to follow.  
• Have an introduction to explain what the video is for but make it short and to the point.  
• Use a conversational tone, short sentences and plain language. 
• “Write for the ear, not for the eye.”  
• As much as is possible, make content “timeless” so that it can be reused at a later date. Avoid using phrases that describe the time that the video was recorded (e.g., This semester, this winter, during the pandemic etc.) 
• Plan your closing to explain 
  • That the video is over 
  • If the video is part of a series or a next step the viewer should take 
  • Where to get help 
• Indentify additional sound throughout your script: 
  • Do you need sound effects? 
  • Will there be music throughout? 
  • Will there be intro and outro music? Will they be the same?  

Storyboarding

You storyboard provides the visual outline and movement for your video. 

To help organize and structure your video,

• Create a rough visual storyboard in any method: sketched by hand, screenshots, or written text describing visuals/movement or any combination.  
• Organize your script to ensure visuals/scenes are moving frequently, at least every 10 seconds.
• Use text sparingly and only when necessary (e.g. titles or labels). 
• Select a visual theme for your video and be consistent throughout 
  • What colours will you use?  
  • What font? What size?  
  • Are you using animated characters?  
    • Make sure not to use the same characters too much  
    • Make sure the mouths aren’t continually moving (even when no one is talking).  
  • Are you using stock images/videos?  
  • What type of transitions will you use?   
• Characters/images/videos and examples should be reflective of a diverse audience.  
• Think about how sound and visuals will interact or impact each other on screen and make this obvious as you plan.  

Remember that the script and storyboard work together to make a plan for how your video will look, sound and feel to the viewer. It is a plan and can be modified as you get feedback or think of new ways of presenting or sharing information.  

Resources

The goal of a described transcript is to be succinct while enhancing the voiceover script. When choosing what visual elements to describe (and how much description to include), think about the purpose and goal of your video. This should help you identify the most important information and understand the role certain visuals play in constructing meaning and communicating the message.  

Here are a few recommendations: 

• Keep description to a minimum. 
  • Not all visual information needs to be recorded, particularly camera movement or "characters" turning or moving into a different space. 
  • When visual information is deemed necessary, you can add these details in the square brackets, e.g., [Curtis, holding a large map] 
• Provide the description after the voiceover script. 
  • The voiceover script provides context and meaning to the object being described. In most cases, it makes most sense that the description follows what is being said.  
• Describe the visual elements based on their role in the video and be consistent: 
  • What is the purpose of these visual elements in the video?  
    • Are you showing an example? That needs to be provided in a textual form.  
    • Is there text that the creator assumes someone can read? That needs to be provided in a textual form.  
    • Is it decorative? It does not need to be included.  
  • Create the description based on the role. Remember to be consistent and succinct.  
• Visual and auditory elements create meaning, but they also add to atmosphere and style as well as generate feeling in the audience.  
  • For example,  
    • a timelapse can both produce meaning and add to a certain style of the video which, if included in the described transcript, could add to the experience in a text format.  
    • Music and sound effects add to atmosphere and style. Including notes about these elements can assist in creating an equivalent experience in text format.  
• Don't repeat information. 
  • You don't need to make note of the text on the screen in the transcript when the words are said by the narrator/speaker.  
  • If there is only one person speaking, you do not need to indicate this.  

Examples 

• What is Digital Identity? 
• Centre for Canadian Landscape Architecture Archives - U of G's Archival & Special Collections   

If the transcript is too long, or if there is a different process for the accessible version of the tool/website, we post an accessible version on the DLC and include the link at the top of the YouTube description box.