Man watching lecture on laptop Long, dry, unfocused lectures are a recipe for student disengagement. Follow these best practices to make videos students will watch and learn from:

DO

Make sure audio is working and volume is up. Audio is more important than the visual for learning.
Watch and evaluate your own videos including closed captioning.
Be concise and focus on instructional objectives.
Use personal stories and examples.
Try to increase interactivity as much as possible.

DON'T

Exceed the 10 min mark.
Combine multiple topics into one video.
Skip around. Instead, follow an outline.
Mention specific dates or other time-based information (so you can use the videos for future classes).
Only use text. Add visuals as much as possible.

Next Up: Adding Interactivity to Your Lectures