A course introduction video can be thought of as the first message to students – getting them excited to start learning, understanding basic expectations, and orienting themselves to the content of the course. A course intro video also satisfies Standard 1.2 of the Quality Matters rubric and Standard #1 of the Open SUNY Course Quality Rubric (OSCQR).
Because of the amount of time it takes to set up a shot, record, and speak an effective introduction, a script should be developed before getting in front of the camera!
To help you achieve this milestone, include and/or consider these top tips:
- This video is usually only 2 to 4 minutes in length
- Begin with (A) an interesting, relevant story; (B) thought-provoking question; or (C) catchy, compelling headline for the course.
- Usually includes short hello or welcome, course name/#
- Rationale for taking course (snippets of course description) and/or how course relates to program or other courses (i.e. “This course fulfills the X requirement of the Y degree program, but is also the foundation to A, B, and C.”)
- Major activities/projects that students will be asked to experience
- Highlight major learning objectives (abbreviated)
- Use this opportunity to set a positive, welcoming tone
- Consider these other tips to create attention-grabbing intros
- Care to learn more? Check out this guide to creating course and instructor introduction videos from Kent State Online
What NOT to do?
- DON’T just regurgitate the syllabus
- DON’T reference dates, semester, year, etc. so the video can be reused from semester to semester
- Technical consideration: don’t wear stripes or intense red – they could cause issues with the video when recording
EXAMPLE COURSE INTRODUCTION VIDEOS
Here are a few sample course intro videos, produced by the EHE Academic Technology team:
Note: the course intro can could take on a couple of different styles of video, though we recommend a front-of-camera style for at least part of it to humanize the course and also boost your presence online.
MODULE INTRODUCTION VIDEOS
Module-level introductions are also extremely helpful in “setting the stage” for the module/unit, enticing learners to proceed, and peaking curiosity (if done well).
Consider creating intro videos for each of your individual modules! Structured similar to the course-level intro video, here is some more information:
Similarly, module summary videos help wrap up the topic and can allow you the platform to clarify misconceptions observed from the module.
READY TO GET STARTED?
Check out our Scriptwriting and Storyboarding page for details and resources to help jump start your intro video!
Ready to get started?
Check out our Scriptwriting and Storyboarding page for details and resources to help jump start your intro video!
