Instructional Technology Group

Digital Video in Teaching

getting started • equipment • distribution • streaming

Video can be a powerful teaching tool. It can help reveal contextual ques and dynamics of a situation from multiple perspectives. Video is also useful for demonstrating processes, artwork, witnessing cause and effect, exploring, and for observing speeches.

Video produced to view on a computer and over the Internet allow a large number of students access at any time. Further, students have control over the pace of viewing, replaying, and pausing at critical points. They can also revisit the piece at their convenience. Digital video and audio can be displayed through WebCT, PowerPoint and projected in the classroom. Popular digital players include Apple QuickTime and Windows Media Player.

Have a look at how Emerson faculty Daniel Kempler and Phil Glenn have used video in teaching.

getting started
To get started with digitizing and/or editing video, take an account of where you are and what you want to accomplish with it.

  • What are the critical aspects of the video; what is it that you want students to understand or gain from it?
  • What resources do you currently have?
  • Has the video you plan to use been produced? What format is it in? VHS? Hi8? DVD?
  • How much video are you considering digitizing?
  • Will you shoot your own video...do you have a camera?
  • How significant is the audio portion of your video?
With these options in mind, have a look at the equipment available on campus for producing video.

Equipment

cameras and hardware
Video cameras, digital converters and editing software are available through Media Services and the computer labs.

If you have an analog video tape that you'd like to digitize, a member of the Instructional Technology Group can help you digitize it.

If you would like to edit existing digital video, you can opt to use Movie Maker (for Windows), iMovie (for Macs) or Final Cut Pro.

software
Movie Maker and iMovie are available on all Windows and Macintosh computers in the labs. These programs are accessible and user-friendly, allowing options for inserting text and scene transitions. For more about the effects of video transitions, see this brief multimedia article from the Encyclopedia of Educational Technology.

Final Cut Pro is useful for advanced editing. Final Cut Pro can be found on three computers in the Advanced Projects Lab at 120 Boylston Street and in Media Services. You can reserve these computers in advance.

To make an appointment for consultation, workshop or reservations, please contact the Instructional Technology Group.

Once you produce and edit your video, you can format it for distribution.

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Distribution

There are multiple ways of distributing video to your students. You can present it in class, post it online for streaming, or distribute it on CD Rom or DVD.

classroom presentation
For class presentations, there are several mediated classrooms available on campus. If your class isn't already scheduled in one, you can reserve either a mediated classroom or schedule a computer and projector to be delivered to your class by Media Services, 180 Tremont St, 3rd Floor, 617.824.8676. Mediated classrooms in the Walker Building (120 Boylston St.) include 202, 210, 229, 230, 233, 508 and 515. Mediated classrooms in the Ansin Building (180 Tremont St.) include 312, 503, 604 and 605.

streaming
Streaming video is compressed video that can be played as it travels over the Internet. Instead of waiting for the entire file to transfer, streaming video begins playing after only the first few frames have loaded on the user's computer. Streaming video is usually viewed through Web browsers (Internet Explorer or Netscape) with plugins (Windows Media or QuickTime) that allow the compressed stream to be decompressed and displayed. An animated description of streaming video can be found in this brief multimedia article, Encyclopedia of Educational Technology: Streaming Video

New streaming process at Emerson College:

We are currently revising our process for streaming Windows media and QuickTime. New equipment and server software has made for improvements to file quality and size for your files. We are very excited about this new process and will post updates here as it develops throughout July and August. If you would like to post video for your courses or department please contact us!

To view streaming video, in addition to having Internet access, you and your students must have your computer set to display the video through a viewer plug-in, or player. It is important that the version of the player is up-to-date in order to accommodate the version of the video. The latest Windows Media or QuickTime player is available at the following sites.
Windows Media Player
QuickTime Player

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cd rom or dvd
A third option for distributing the video to students is through CDs or DVDs. You can copy the video file to CDs or DVDs. The main advantage of the CD and DVD is that the student will have the file for their own use, and the quality will be optimal for viewing.

To get started with digitizing and editing, please contact a member of the Instructional Technology Group.