The Message and the Medium

Choices, Choices

Course content can be delivered through a variety of media -- text, video or audio. The question is, how do you decide which media to use? There's really no right answer to this question, but each platform has certain production and pedagogical benefits that might help you decide.

Text?

From a production perspective, text is the easiest and fastest format for delivering and managing content over time. From a pedagogical point of view, information is most commonly transmitted through text. Text is efficient and adaptable. It is just as effective for communicating quick messages as it is for communicating extensive detail. The drawback to text-based content delivery is that text is often not as engaging as audio or visual forms of communication.

Video?

Video is a great way to personalize communication. Video is one way for a professor to establish personal presence within the virtual world of online learning to create a personal connection with learners. Video is especially effective in delivering content that benefits from graphic representations of concepts through as images, graphs, charts or animations. From a production perspective, built-in webcams and mics have made desktop video production almost as easy as creating text; and, for content that captures real-world situations, or employs extensive graphics or visuals, professionally-produced video is far more engaging and can be more precise in communicating concepts than paragraphs text can be.

Audio?

Audio recording is an alternative to video. Interviews and lectures that lend themselves to a story-telling format are perfect for audio recording. From a production perspective, desktop audio recording is even easier to create than desktop video, though there are several production factors that should be considered: (1) recording should take place in a "well-padded" room (ie, carpeting, drapes and other soft surfaces) to absorb vibration and (2) an external microphone or earbuds with a mic on the wire are recommended over your computer's built in mic. While most audio recordings do not require post-production, the addition of music to introduce, punctuate and conclude an audio recording provide structure that keeps listeners attentive. From a pedagogical perspective, audio recordings can be consumed by personal digital devices such as phones and tablets, and therefore present an anytime-anywhere option for students.

How to decide?

So, how do you decide among these three delivery platforms? Flowchart #1 below will help you match your message to the medium. Flowchart #2 will help you identify the best platform for your recording needs. If your decision-making leads you to a video solution, the page that follows this one provides examples of lecture video formats for you to consider.