Assignment 2: Crafting an Educational Video served as a valuable platform for me to apply and introspect upon the principles, techniques, and subject matter we’ve engaged with throughout Modules 1, 2, and 3. Being someone who derives great pleasure from expressing creativity through the culinary arts, I enthusiastically embraced this assignment. My chosen task was to create an instructional video elucidating the steps to prepare a simple yet delightful recipe for baked fries. As we ventured into the intricate concepts of storytelling and video production introduced in this week’s discussions, I found my inspiration ablaze. Over the course of time, I’ve unwaveringly believed that storytelling is a fundamental and versatile tool with applications extending far beyond the realm of education.
To execute this project, I decided to utilize the Wondershare Filmora platform for video assembly and editing, ultimately uploading the final product to YouTube. However, the export phase presented some technical challenges, which is somewhat characteristic of my experiences! To overcome these hurdles, I took the step of acquiring a subscription for the platform, ensuring a smooth video export. Concurrently, my screen recording software was plagued by persistent glitches.
In the end, I made a pragmatic choice to record my video using my iPad and subsequently uploaded it to YouTube. While this may not have been my initial preference, it certainly proved to be the most practical solution given the circumstances.
Link for my video:
Reflection Questions:
What is the learning purpose of your video?
In my video, I aim to impart a valuable lesson on preparing baked fries, and it provides a unique opportunity for me to blend my passion for cooking with educational content. Cooking is a realm of activity that offers an abundance of freedom and creativity, but it can also be somewhat intimidating, especially for beginners. To address this, I’ve crafted a straightforward recipe that is easy to follow, demands minimal ingredients, and can be customized to cater to individual preferences.
I recognize that university students often grapple with the challenge of balancing their academic commitments, extracurricular activities, and the need to prepare meals. With this video, I intend to demonstrate how cooking can be a quick and hassle-free endeavor, helping students save time and enjoy delicious homemade meals without compromising on their other responsibilities.
Which of the Principles We’ve Covered This Term (e.g., Mayer/Universal Design for Learning/Cognitive Load Theory) Did You Incorporate Into Your Design and Why?
In designing my video, I carefully incorporated several principles we’ve explored this term to enhance its educational effectiveness.
Mayer’s Principles and Cognitive Load Theory:
In designing my video, I carefully incorporated several principles we’ve explored this term to enhance its educational effectiveness.
While we’ve provided a brief introduction to Merrill’s First Principles, it’s important to delve into Mayer’s Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning (CTML), which is rooted in three fundamental cognitive science principles:
Limited Capacity (Cognitive Load Theory): Mayer’s theory acknowledges the limited cognitive capacity of learners, considering the challenges presented by cognitive load (Mayer, 2012).
Dual Coding Theory: Mayer’s CTML recognizes the effectiveness of combining visual and verbal information, adhering to the principles of dual coding (Mayer, 2012).
Active Processing: Mayer emphasizes the concept of active processing, asserting that we construct coherent mental representations through the dynamic process of filtering, selecting, organizing, and integrating information (Mayer, 2012).
In this context, active processing involves engaging the audience’s cognitive faculties by posing questions or prompts. This active engagement encourages the audience to think deeply about the content of the speech while contemplating their responses, thereby enhancing their attention and understanding.
Extraneous Cognitive Load: To reduce extraneous cognitive load, I implemented various principles. This involved adhering to the coherence principle by eliminating unnecessary audio and video elements, structuring the video with clear headers to signify each step, and applying the contiguity principle by positioning text elements closely together to facilitate comprehension through proximity (Mayer, 2012). This careful design aimed to help learners grasp the content effectively. While videos offer an intuitive approach to introducing new material, it’s vital to consider that learners can effectively process only approximately seven pieces of fresh information before integrating them into long-term memory. Consequently, while videos can be a potent tool for delivering a substantial amount of new material, instructors must be cautious not to overwhelm learners and trigger cognitive overload.
Intrinsic Cognitive Load: In managing intrinsic cognitive load, I meticulously approached the task of segmenting my video into 14 manageable steps while maintaining text content with concise information. At the outset of the video, I thoughtfully provided a comprehensive list of all necessary ingredients, in alignment with the pre-training principle. Additionally, I harnessed the power of voice narration to guide and illustrate each step, a practice in accordance with the modality principle. By seamlessly integrating narration and video, I ensured adherence to the multimedia principle. The careful handling of intrinsic cognitive load, particularly in the realm of video production for higher education, stands as a pivotal consideration when striving to craft effective and captivating instructional materials.
Social Cues: I placed an emphasis on social cues, specifically through the application of the Personalization Principle. I consistently maintained a conversational tone throughout the video and employed polite and courteous language. Furthermore, I chose to use my own voice for narration, in line with the Voice Principle. This approach is aimed at reducing the psychological distance between the speaker and the audience, fostering a stronger sense of connection and empathy.
Germane Cognitive Load: I ensured that my video remains clear and free from unnecessary information to minimize germane cognitive load.
Six Promising Practices for Infographic Design: I thoughtfully applied the six fundamental practices for infographic design to my video, meticulously ensuring a consistent style with uniform font size, type, and colour choices to maintain a streamlined colour palette (Easel.ly, 2021). While it did take me a bit more time to get accustomed to the Wondershare Filmora platform in comparison to the already familiar iMovie, I found that Wondershare Filmora’s flexibility in font size selection was a significant advantage. This feature allowed me to maintain a consistent larger font size for my headers and a uniform smaller text size for my content. I also underscored the significance of establishing a clear hierarchy in my video, giving more prominence to the most critical messages (Easel.ly, 2021).
Universal Design for Learning: Ensuring inclusivity, I combined audio and text in my video and published it on YouTube, providing learners with the flexibility to pause, play, rewind, fast-forward, and adjust the playback speed, making it accessible to a broader audience.
What Was Challenging About Capturing Your Own Video?
This assignment presented both enjoyable and demanding aspects. One of the primary challenges I encountered was the initial preparation, involving scripting and detailing the steps, which demanded a considerable amount of time and meticulous effort. As I delved into video production, I couldn’t overlook the significance of intrinsic cognitive load, understanding its impact on how learners process and internalize the content presented. Moreover, the post-production phases, encompassing editing and exporting, turned out to be rather time-intensive. While striving to structure my video with subsections, I found myself intently searching for the most suitable platform. In retrospect, I realized that YouTube offered the desired features, and simplifying the editing process could have been achieved by opting for iMovie over Wondershare Filmora.
What Did You Find Easiest?
The simplest part of this assignment, for me, was the video recording process. I had carefully scripted each step and followed it methodically while presenting to my audience, which made the recording process efficient and straightforward.
How Would You Approach Capturing Video Differently Next Time?
In future assignments, I would aim to have access to a more suitable kitchen space. This would not only enhance the background for my audience but also provide me with better-equipped kitchen supplies, including measuring cups. I would also explore different video editing platforms to enhance the delivery of my video. Additionally, I would ensure there is sufficient space below me for audio captions and maintain consistent eye contact with the camera lens for a more engaging and impactful presentation.
Script/ Storyboard
Prior to commencing the filming process, I had already outlined the on-screen text, which essentially laid the foundation for my video. Storyboards can take on a spectrum of complexity, as they serve as a guiding tool for the production and editing phases of a video. Given my personal challenges with public speaking and recording myself, I found that keeping my script concise and to the point was the most effective approach for me. In essence, I leveraged the text displayed on the screen as my version of a storyboard, allowing my narration to flow more naturally compared to adhering to a rigid script.
Text on screen: Edci 337 Assignment 2: Lesson on My Simple Baked Fries Recipe
Nicole: Hello everybody my name is Nicole Campbell and for today’s edci 337 assignment 2 video I am going to be teaching you how to make my recipe for some simple flexible fries
Nicole: one fact in the Netherlands fries are a traditional food served with mayonnaise instead of ketchup
Text on screen: Ingredient List:
- Chili flakes
- Cajun seasoning
- Salt
- Olive oil
- Potato fries
Nicole: for this recipe you are going to need five ingredients
Text on screen: Step 1: Preheat the Oven to 350°F
Nicole: so step one is to preheat your oven to 350
Text on screen:Step 2: Prepare the Baking Tray to Prevent Sticking
Nicole:step two is to grab a large pan and um if you have fragment paper line the pan I don’t so I’m going to use some olive oil and just make sure um the pan won’t stick to any fries
Text on screen:Step 3: Place 1.5 to 2 cups of potato sticks onto the baking tray
Nicole: I have this package that is precut peeled and boiled fries um otherwise you can just do that yourself but this just makes it a lot easier now time to place the fries on your Pan um this is how much you want but I’m probably going to do around a cup and 1 half or 2 cups of fries
Text on screen:Step 4: Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the fries
Nicole: now take about a tablespoon of olive oil and just put that on the fries
Text on screen:Step 5: Season with salt to your taste
Nicole: next step is to add salt to taste um just all over your fries
Text on screen:Step 6: Add approximately 1 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning
Nicole: and then the next ingredient is Cajun seasoning and I would say probably about a teaspoon of this all over your fries
Text on screen: Step 7: Sprinkle about ¼ teaspoon of garlic seasoning
Nicole: next ingredient is the garlic powder and I would say about 1/4 of a teaspoon of this
Text on screen: Step 8: Add chili flakes according to your preferred level of spice
Nicole: all and the last ingredient is chili flakes and just do it to your preference
Text on screen: Step 9: Gently mix all the ingredients to ensure even distribution
Nicole: now that your fries has all the ingredients mix them
Text on screen: Step 10: Place the tray in the oven once it’s fully preheated
Nicole: once your oven is preheated you can put these into the oven and wait until they are cooked to your desire
Text on screen: Step 11: At the 10-minute mark (halfway through), carefully remove the fries to flip them
Nicole: okay so it has been 10 minutes that the fries have been in the oven and just going to clip them to make sure that they get evenly cooked um and then you want to place them back into the oven
Text on screen: Step 12: After 20 minutes, the fries should have a golden-brown color, so carefully take them out of the oven
Nicole: after 20 minutes in the oven the potato fries should be golden brown and ready to eat
Text on screen: Step 13: Allow the fries to cool to a suitable temperature before enjoying
Nicole: just make sure you wait a couple minutes before um eating so you don’t burn your month
Text on screen: Step 14: Bon appétit!
Nicole: and enjoy thank you for watching my assignment 2 video Lesson of a simple and easy baked fry recipe
Mayer, R. E. (Ed.). (2014). The Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139547369
Clark, J. & Paivio, A., Dual Coding Theory and Education, Educational Psychology Review, VoL 3, No. 3, 1991
Mayer, R. E., & Fiorella, L. (2014). Principles for reducing extraneous processing in multimedia learning: Coherence, signaling, redundancy, spatial contiguity, and temporal contiguity. In R.E. Mayer (Ed.), The Cambridge handbook of multimedia learning (pp. 279-315). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
Easel.ly, Crash Course in Infographics Webinar, Accessed Sept 28, 2022
Inclusive Design (2018) Microsoft Design Principles
Glonek, Katie L. & Paul E. King (2014) Listening to Narratives: An Experimental Examination of Storytelling in the Classroom, International Journal of Listening, 28:1, 32-46, DOI: 10.1080/10904018.2014.861302
Great video Nicole! I really liked how you broke down the process step by step and the detail you included in the description! I also found out about the Dutch serving fries with mayonnaise this summer, so cool!