Embedded Files
Background
Background
Creating a storyboard to streamline the video production was helpful. I created a simple template within the storyboard and laid out my instructional goal and objectives, then defined overarching topics before creating a rough script and finding appropriate Creative Commons images (using Pixabay) for each topic.
Check out the script and completed digital media evaluation (template here) below the video and storyboard, just above some further context for this assignment.
By Brandy Churchill, licensed as [CC BY-SA 4.0]. You are free to share and remix this work provided you include attribution to the original author and distribute any resulting work under the same or similar license to this one.
Script_ReduceStressWithMindfulnessScript/Transcript
Script/Transcript
I started with large paragraphs for each slide in my storyboard, and decided that formatting the overall text more like an essay would help with creating appropriate natural breaks while narrating (as well as make it easier to read, since it is a lot of text). Plus, if someone is reading the script/transcript rather than listening, this makes it more like an instructional guide.
EvaluatingDigitalMedia_VideoReduceStressWithMindfulnessApplying the Digital Content Evaluation Checklist
Applying the Digital Content Evaluation Checklist
This video satisfies my evaluation checklist quite nicely, though it lacks cultural diversity. Longer term, incorporating better control for the learner to start, stop or replay each exercise (rather than just pausing the video) would be great, given the exercise-based format of this video.
Learning Gap/Objective & Audience
Learning Gap/Objective & Audience
Learners will develop an appreciation for the simplicity of mindfulness practices for the benefit of stress reduction.
By the end of this video lesson, learners will:
Identify three benefits of mindfulness.
Practice three exercises to increase mindfulness.
The audience is adults curious about stress reduction strategies, and mindfulness as a concept.
Instructional Strategy
Instructional Strategy
Learners engage best with short, informative, direct videos, because otherwise cognitive load is too high and they can't process effectively (Brame, 2015). I kept the visual elements clean, trying to reinforce the audio concepts and exercises of relaxing in specific ways using the images on the screen, with minimal text. Embedding links in the video for learners to click on from the video itself ended up on the cutting room floor because YouTube's features for doing this are limited. I opted for shortened URLs that would be easy to type into the address bar of a browser instead, so that learners could get more detail if they wanted.
Given the heavy audio focus, I'm was glad to explore adding captions/transcript to this video on YouTube in a later lesson, to ensure that learners with hearing difficulties can still participate.
Content Development
Content Development
I used freely licensed images from Pixabay. I created the storyboard and final presentation in Google Slides, altering the image coloration to have a more cohesive feel per visual design best practices.
I downloaded the final presentation to PowerPoint for narration and video exporting. Hosting the video on YouTube is straightforward since I have a Google account already and my portfolio is hosted on Google Sites, which plays nicely with YouTube.
Conscientious of final file size, I compressed the images in the PowerPoint (Google Slides does not have an easy feature for compression) and exported the narrated presentation at 720p instead of 1080p, since the images still maintain a high quality.
See the note under the video (and embedded on YouTube) for Creative Commons licensing.
References
References
Brame, C.J. (2015). Effective educational videos. Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching. Retrieved from http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/effective-educational-videos/
Google Sites
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