Thread by @kevinburden

Online learning cannot replace the social aspects of going to university. But creative TV production techniques can bring learning to life and to many more people.
theguardian.com/commentisfree/…

As @viewmagazine demonstrates here, some care with "dressing the set" can make a live or recorded lecture much more visually rich and appealing:

https://twitter.com/viewmagazine/status/1308727715038715904?s=19

Simple audio and editing can tidy up a recorded webinar, sharpen up the graphics and deliver the content in appropriate, consumable chunks:
youtube.com/playlist?list=…

Academics and other contributors could do a lot to improve the quality of their recordings at home or at college by following a few tips. Here's the advice I prepared for a health body:

But you don't have to stay tied to the office or back bedroom! TV gets out and about, and films people on location. I did a whole series for @RoyalAgUni interviewing the people who would normally be guest lecturers in their 'native environment' - on farms and in fields.

Ultimately, if you have the time and the budget, you can keep increasing the production value. I filmed across Europe for a consortium of universities researching advanced humanoid robots. It was like a BBC Horizon film for a specialist audience. The project lead presented.

But you can also make impactful learning materials without leaving your desk (or even your bed!) I used the software that came free with my laptop to produce this short graphical explainer:

And remember, the digital revolution has put a video production tool into everyone's pocket - the smartphone - that rivals the capabilities of TV studios ten years ago. I film entirely on my phone and edit on my laptop. #mojo

Here, I used two phones and £300 of accessories (external sound recorder, tripod, lights, boom pole and gimbal). Not free, but not beyond the reach of a cast-strapped university needing to improve engagement and retention!

What's needed is creativity and experience. Just as having a pen and paper doesn't make you a novelist, a smartphone doesn't make you a film-maker. Seek advice from those who can turn learning into engaging video. (Advertising note: people like me!) Thanks for watching. /ends

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