“We can just record my existing PowerPoint slides.”

The phrase always sends shivers down my spine.  Not because recording PowerPoint slides isn’t effective, as in some situations it can still be useful, but because of the seemingly flippant attitude of the “just” part.  If only it were that easy, and a recorded PowerPoint was the end-all solution for online learning.

This is always where we start our conversation that, in essence, defines my ethics of video lectures in instructional design.  This is a very loose framework, and not necessarily based on any particular theory I’ve encountered, but rather through observations of multitudes of online courses using various approaches to content delivery and seeing what works based on the course and the context.  Simply deploying a “video” isn’t really that simple.

Recently, I heard a phrase that I think sums this up nicely: “You haven’t yet mastered a tool until you understand when not to use it.”

Rather than bore you with a lengthy diatribe of my approaches on ethical considerations in deploying videos for courses, I’ll quickly run down the points I typically consider, as well as a few that, while currently very unlikely, may affect our work in the future and should be considered (you’ll see which one I mean).

Potential Risks to Consider

Reuse as an excuse to not update.

An instructor may feel that updating the course from quarter to quarter isn’t necessary since they put so much time and effort into their videos. While it is true we try not to keep recreating videos each quarter, it shouldn’t be an excuse to not double check the quality and timeliness of the content. It also means that it can be awkward when visibly older contents live alongside newer items (like when an instructor suddenly ages 10 years between one video and another). While it may not be an issue content-wise, it can make the course feel like it is build piecemeal, or that it relies on outdated content.

Potentially distances instructor from students over time.

We see video as a way of bringing the instructor and their personality into the course, where students can see or hear the person they’re taking the course with. However, it can also have an inverse effect if the instructor doesn’t use the time saved from posting videos to have individualized or frequent interaction with the students. In essence, the videos should supplement the work the instructor does to teach the students, not replace it.

Can be lazy way of putting courses “online.”

This is essentially the “We can just post recorded PowerPoints” issue—simply recording the existing slide decks or lectures without considering how they fit into a larger online design can be a recipe for disaster.

Who owns the content?

Once videos are posted to the LMS or video server, who has access to the content to reuse/share? Can the instructor download, edit, or remove their content without a lengthy or difficult process? Consider the life of the content beyond the course itself, and make sure that the instructor, the administration, and the student understand how access to the content works both during the course and after.

If material was created by another person, how is it cited in video, and can it even be used in a video like this?

Most publishers provide supplemental materials for instructors teaching with a specific textbook, including slide decks, assignments, or other supplementary materials. If an instructor uses these to create videos, is there any legal or ethical questions about sharing the content through video? Is the video part of a work-for-hire contract? Does the contract expect that an instructor has created original materials to fulfill the development of the course?

On-screen vs. recorded PPT (affordances vs. constraints).

While it may seem like a win-win to have the instructor on screen in a recording to create a sense of personality or connection with students in the course, there should be deeper considerations about when to use a recorded PowerPoint or slide deck, or when there should be an attempt at getting a more natural integration of the instructor in the course (i.e. lightboard videos, documentary style recordings, interviews, etc). Not every kind of recording fits every piece of content, so the type of recording should be dictated by how best to present the contents rather than preference or ease.

Time, energy, staffing, expertise, software and hardware costs to produce.

Recording a video with the highest possible quality and effort isn’t always the smartest approach. Consider how often content might change or how long a video can be used before determining how much time, effort, and money to spend on producing it. If it takes 5 people a week to set up, record, and edit a 30-minute video, you should at least make sure it can be used for several quarters, if not several years, before dedicating the effort to it.  If it a video is to be replaced often, is too expensive to maintain long-term, or is created with technology that only one or two people have access to, you should be cautious about using that kind of video in courses unless it is really, truly necessary.

May be less accessible to students with audio/visual impairments.

When deciding to use video of any kind for a course, you should also consider how the content will be accessible to people with auditory or visual disabilities. Use well-edited captions or provide alternate documents that cover the content to make sure that you aren’t making the content inaccessible to some of your students.

Long-term storage and editing concerns.

Creating videos can lead to huge files, both in the original raw recording or final edited footage. Consider where and how long you will store these materials. Do you keep the originals for a short window, then only post the edited footage after that? Do you provide copies of the videos to the faculty to maintain their own records of? Do you have a local or cloud-based storage solution? How fast is it, and can it realistically host all the videos for as long as you need to while still providing the editors or instructional designers access to them?  Consider this early on in the projects, since it can quickly spiral into unmanageable amounts of storage or lead to situations where footage is no longer accessible when faculty need it.  Put a plan in place, then communicate it clearly to stakeholders.

Eventual “Deep fake” capability (an instructor can just type out a lecture and have a bot recite it in their face/voice).

While this one seems like a far-fetched problem to consider, deep fake audio and video is becoming more and more realistic every day, which could eventually be used for an instructor with sufficient stocks of prior recordings to train an AI to imitate their voice (or even face) to simply type out new lectures and have the AI perform the recordings. Or for an instructional designer, another instructor, or a department to recreate or edit an instructor’s videos without their knowledge or efforts. While potentially a risky concept, it could also be useful for updating content without massive efforts, though things should certainly be discussed.

Potential Benefits to Consider:

Free up instructor time from quarter to quarter.

For courses where the content is relatively stable from quarter to quarter (i.e. technology, concepts, or terminology don’t change much), having videos can free up an instructor’s time to spend providing more in-depth feedback on student projects, running well-developed discussions, or otherwise providing students with more attention.

More engaging than just reading texts for entire class.

This is where an instructor can gain “presence” or individuality in an online course. Rather than just having students read text, whether written by the instructor or from other sources or textbooks, videos can make concepts and courses more engaging by giving students access to expert faculty to discuss their work and lead the students.

Can be accessed in other ways (i.e. a student can listen while walking or doing other activities which you can’t while reading).

While not the primary reason for using video in a course, there can be a fringe benefit where students can download videos to listen to while doing other things, like driving to and from work/campus, exercising at the gym, or cooking/cleaning at home; these certainly wouldn’t be easy or even possible with texts.

Can be swapped out as contents change.

Using videos recorded in modular fashion (rather than recording huge blocks of lecture) allows for easy updates—as one concept changes, a new, short video can be recorded to take its place without having to re-record hours’ worth of other lecture that may not have changed yet.

Allows students to re-watch videos as many times as needed.

As opposed to attending classes where lectures happen in the moment without the ability to rewind or re-watch, a recorded lecture gives a student the chance to go back and review concepts, take better notes, or study the original content presentations rather than relying solely on notes or memory. Some platforms even allow students to speed up or slow down videos, altering the pace of the voice or the length of the videos, making it easier or faster to review contents.

So while I’ve likely forgotten to mention something or haven’t fully considered every benefit or challenge, the items above are some of the things I tend to review when deciding whether to deploy a video, and which type of video approach to use.

So what considerations do you make when deciding when, how, or why to use videos in courses?