Module 2: Create Audio and Video Instructional Materials

In this module, we'll focus on how to develop instructional materials for your remote instruction course. It's important to note that all of the guidance in this module is directed at developing your course to be asynchronous. Rather than structuring the class around live lectures that meet at regular days and times during the week, we're going to focus on how to record your lectures and consider a variety of formats to distribute the content beyond video.

This principle of asynchronous design is increasingly becoming an essential component of remote instruction as synchronous sessions present equity issues (e.g. students in different time zones, unequal access to technology to engage in synchronous sessions, student parents with childcare needs, students who work in addition to attending school, etc.) and the technology available cannot exactly replicate the in-class experience to the degree many instructors would like.

Instead of trying to force the technology to do something it cannot, the guidance here is around using the technology in the way it's intended to create effective instructional materials. Online education has been using this approach for years and there are many already well known approaches and best practices that can be applied to remote instruction, as well.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this module, you'll be able to:

Divide your lectures into content-focused segments
Record and share your lectures in bCourses
Include a variety of instructional materials that provide a diverse representation of the content
Apply best practices for creating asynchronous instructional resources for remote instruction.

All of these learning objectives will help you to achieve the overall course objective: Use your bCourses site to present instructional materials, administer graded components including high-stakes exams, and engage students and Develop engaging instructional materials.

How To Do It

Divide your lectures into content-focused segments

You can organize your remote class around learning objectives, themes, and/or topics using short, content-focused audio or video lecture segments. While we are looking at this through the lens of remote instruction, it is true that many professors already take this approach when lecturing, by presenting short segments of information followed by taking questions or encouraging their class to discuss and share.

The DIY Media service from DLS provides guidance on how to develop engaging audio and video lectures for students and the tools needed to do it.

DIY Media

The following articles from CTL provide guidance on ways to revise your standard lecture approach. Though the guidance provided is relevant for all modes of instruction, it may be particularly helpful to those trying a new approach for remote instruction.

Know Your Teaching Patterns: Sometimes Simple Changes Have the Biggest Impact
Flipping Your Remote Classroom

You may also consider offering lectures in a different format other than video. The following resource from DLS provides guidance on finding the media format that best fits your content.

Decision Tree for Determining How to Best Present Your Lecture for Virtual Access

Record and share your lectures in bCourses

Kaltura

You can record and share your lectures in bCourses using Kaltura, a web-based video management platform that allows UC Berkeley instructors, students, and staff to upload, edit, manage, and share videos and other media. You can access Kaltura directly from your bCourses site by going to the My Media and Media Gallery in the left navigation of your course.

Since Kaltura is easily accessed via bCourses and supported by the university, it is a great option for sharing lectures. The following service page from DLS provides links to how-to guides, best practices, and support for using Kaltura. (Note: Haas School of Business uses Panapto instead of Kaltura. Haas faculty can contact haasdigital@berkeley.edu for more information.)

DLS Kaltura Service Page

You may also note that you can use Kaltura Capture Desktop Recorder to record lectures. The following articles explain how to download and use Kaltura Capture and best practices for recording and sharing lectures.

Zoom

Zoom is fully integrated with Kaltura and bCourses, meaning you can record lectures either synchronously or asynchronously and then share them in bCourses using Kaltura. The following article explains how to share your Zoom recordings in bCourses using Kaltura.

How do I share my Zoom Recordings in bCourses using Kaltura?

The following guides from DLS provide additional information on recording lectures via Zoom.

Zoom Quick Guide
Remote Teaching Tips from Faculty - Using Zoom & Other Technology
Zoom FAQ

Include a variety of instructional materials that provide a diverse representation of the content

Many instructors already present different instructional materials such as articles, podcasts, or movies during in person class time. The same options apply in remote instruction, but there is even greater flexibility to pull in different types of resources given that you are not limited in what you can share by class time and location. Furthermore, if you are organizing your instructional materials in bCourses using Pages, you can share links and provide context for how students should consider the materials in relationship to the rest of the module content.

Before searching for video and audio content on the open web, you can start by checking out what is available via UC Berkeley Library's Media Resource Center. There are many video streaming options and materials in the audio archives that you can access and add to your course. By using resources via the library, you’ll have the assurance that the links will remain active and meet Fair Use and accessibility standards. If you ever have any issues with the videos, you can also reach out to the Media Resource Center for support. The following links direct you to the Media Resource Center resources. You will need to use the university's VPN to access these materials. For more information on using the VPN, you can visit the UC Berkeley Library's site Connect from Off Campus.

Best Practices

Now that you know how to complete the activities covered in this module, read more about how best to use them in your course. These practices are adapted from common recommendations for fully online courses to meet the needs of a remote classroom.

Best Practices: Create Audio and Video Instructional Materials