Practical Video Best Practices

Testing

It is good practice to test your tools prior to recording a video. Test runs often point out areas that could cause a problem during recording. Testing your camera, lighting, microphone, and other devices can prevent mistakes in recording. Consider how you look in the video and how you sound.

Additionally, make sure that all the proper software is working prior to recording. We recommend recording in either Kaltura Capture or Zoom. If you would like to automatically upload all of your Zoom recordings into Kaltura, you can create a CCIT help ticket to link your accounts.

Video recording can be the toughest part of the process. If you are saying complicated words, practice pronouncing them prior to filming the final product. You may need a couple of takes of recording to iron out any mistakes. The recording does not have to be perfect on the first try, so it is ok to make mistakes. When recording, avoid muttering so that students can hear you clearly. Also, avoid using any chronological information to avoid dating your video and allow for it to be reused at another time.

Target and Outline

Begin with the hardest topics and build out from there. It can be good to go back and add Kaltura quizzes to the difficult topics to help students reinforce those difficult topics.

Creating an online of the lecture prior to recording is very helpful. In these outlines, you should be identifying information in three tiers: Essential, Very Important, and Important. If the information does not fall within these categories, then it should be removed. This helps shorten the video and avoid information overload. One benefit of lecture videos is that learners can pause, restart, and replay sections if needed, so you can keep your focus on essential information.

Use outlines to help plan out your recording. Include timestamps of certain information, add a to-do list of things that you want to make sure are discussed in the recording, and identify where in the recording you can add Hotspots or quiz questions.

Pedagogical Theories in Video Recording

There are multiple pedagogical theories to consider when recording videos for your course. First of which is Cognitive Load Theory. Cognitive Load Theory is the amount of working memory resources that a learner has available, which can impact how effective teaching techniques are. Removing information or breaking information up into multiple, smaller videos can ease the cognitive load.

Another important theory is Active Learning theory. This theory supports providing opportunities for students to process course information by doing something with the materials. A good way to do this in your recordings is by including hotspots and Kaltura quizzes for your students to interact with.

Kaltura Features

Certain Kaltura features can be of great assistance when it comes to creating effective educational videos. One of the best features of Kaltura is the ability to create chapters along the video timeline. These chapters in your videos give students more autonomy in their learning process, allowing them to move around to different topics within the video.

Kaltura quizzes are a great feature for active learning in your course. You can create True/false, multiple-choice, or short-answer questions for your videos. These serve as a knowledge check to make sure your students are paying attention and absorbing the information from the videos.

If you are interested in learning more, you can watch the full training here!

If you have any questions, book a consultation with Clemson Online!

Upcoming Events 

Meeting Accessibility Standards in Canvas

July 8th, 1:30-2:30 PM

Facilitated by Leslie Fuller, Digital Learning Strategist

Join this session to learn how to ensure your Canvas course meets accessibility standards! This training will introduce you to digital accessibility standards and provide helpful guidelines and tips to ensure your Canvas course is accessible to all learners.

Workshop Wednesday: Easy HTML Editing in Canvas

July 15th, 1:30-2:30 PM

Facilitated by Millie Tullis, Digital Learning Strategist

Join this session to learn more about using easy HTML code in your Canvas course! This hands-on workshop is perfect for instructors who are new to HTML editing. This training will introduce you to a few easy ways to enhance your Canvas course using simple HTML. No prior coding experience is expected.

Click here to register for both workshops!

Clemson Online Summer 2026 Events Calendar

Review our Summer 2026 Events Calendar to see what Online Instruction Development opportunities await!

We have a robust lineup of topics and live training formats to support your use of Canvas and other e-learning tools. Topics cover demonstrations of using Kaltura, engaging your students, and workshops to get your Canvas site ready to teach!

All of our live training is recorded. Registrants will automatically receive a link to that day’s video after it has been processed.

Contact Millie Tullis with any questions regarding these sessions.

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