I love the flip. I love what I can during “lecture” when students have already been exposed to the content. But as I conclude my Anatomy and Physiology courses this semester, I struggle with the simple fact that I REALLY want to re-record MOST of my video lectures.
This is really bad news, because I have exactly 582 videos (which make up about 70 lectures) posted on YouTube right now. Maybe it is just the time of the semester, but I can’t even imagine how exactly I would rally the energy and enthusiasm to go about re-recording these lectures.
I just watched my physiology lecture on reproduction. Let me just tell you a few things that I observed. While talking about oogenesis, something fell off the wall in my office, initiating a sympathetic nervous response. I kept recording. Then there was a sound outside my office, so I grabbed my cell phone and made sure Security was on speed dial. I kept recording. While checking my phone to make sure Security was on speed dial, I noticed a text message from my mother. I kept recording. I think I said the word “FOCUS” about 23 times. One of my YouTube viewers commented, “LOMG she’s annoying…it takes her so long to get to the point.”
But how in the world could I re-record these 70 lectures? It has taken me 2 years to arrive at the place where I am finally re-using previously recorded content. And rather than finding I suddenly have lots of time, I am working just as hard to build good clicker-based activities to do during what used to be lecture. I actually feel like this might be a fatal flaw for the flipped method…at least my version of it.
I am planning to deeply contemplate this question, because I’ve invested very fully in the Wendy-style flip. I can’t imagine delivering a traditional lecture…but I also can’t quite visualize how I am going to re-record my 70 existing video lectures. Because we all know, iterative improvements are an invaluable perk that comes with teaching experience.
Maybe I am just suffering from a case of “end-of-semester burnout.” Any thoughts?
Hey Wendy,
I’m a medical student and have just discovered your videos. Please do NOT stop flipping. I am a very visual learning so watching videos has always been my go-to to cover material learned in class. What I especially like about your video is the fact that I can see your face. I cannot emphasize how important this is to comprehending the material because I can compute key concepts by seeing the emphasis on your face rather than the tone of your voice (if you only provided audio for instance). Apart from my appreciation of your videos I do have something that might help your conundrum.
Why not just change your personal recording and keep the drawing part of it? You can write down the times of when you start drawing or should start talking about a topic and then re-record the visual/audio part of you talking. If the complaints are about the dialogue and not the visuals then you can cut 1/2 the work by working on the dialogue.
Cheers!
What a lovely message! Thank you for the pep-talk and suggestions. It makes a huge difference to know that folks are appreciating the videos, even if the AREN’T perfect! Good luck with your studies—
Wendy
I share the same concerns! It takes SO long to record lectures. And if you are required to also include close captioning, OMG it is almost impossible! One approach is to carefully produce recordings that will have a very long shelf life. So you can take some time off teaching to produce the stuff. Another idea is to team teach at first (during the prep to flip), one focuses on the lectures, the other on the in-class, and then just share the material. Another option is to record regular lectures live, in class during a non-flip course and then edit the videos for use during the flip.
I liked the comment by ‘curiosityblog’ above. I had chosen to not include my face in the videos as I didn’t find it useful, but after that comment I may include some “face-time” in a few videos and then survey the students to see if the majority find it useful. i do routinely do weekly “face” videos to orient students to the week’s tasks to come.
Curious, what software do you use to record lectures?
Santiago!
I just realized we are taking the Rational Design HAPS-I course together this semester! Perhaps we can explore this issue in more depth, with the input of the Amazing Dr. Weck!
See you in class—
Wendy