Peter is the author and instructor for AA 121, Design Thinking and Creativity. Given his background in television, Peter adopted a "live television" approach in which he lectured before a green screen, using a clicker to advance his slides, which were incorporated into the video in real time, greatly reducing post-production effort. We have selected three videos, two shorter and one longer, that exemplify effective educational video. See our commentary below and the annotations in the videos themselves.
The first video is an excellent example of near-perfect alignment with the guidelines
associated with this exhibit. Peter's well-thought-out delivery here resulted from
proper content planning, effective visuals, and a solid recording process. Moreover,
his approach exemplifies several key aspects of the Understanding by Design framework
for teaching for improved understanding.
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While video was not the only viable approach, it is a good match here. At just over
six minutes in length, his video duration is ideal. Every statement and every visual
aims at answering the essential question, so there is no extraneous content here
to weed out. He scripted his narration, complete with cues for advancing to the next
slide, but delivers it naturally and rarely appears to rely on the teleprompter.
Additionally, he models a natural delivery with a good rate of speech and inflection.
Taken as a whole, this video exemplifies every guideline for sound process, fulfills
Cognitive Load Theory, and promotes strong student engagement. The instructional
effectiveness of the video would be improved by following one or more of the design
guidelines for promoting active learning.
Peter’s instructional goal here is to begin equipping his students with a “designerly” mindset, which includes fostering the realization that design is a unique discipline. His strategy to achieve that goal is excellent: he poses a foundational, essential question for them to wrestle with that informs the field of design and the course of study.
Take note of how well this video promotes student engagement throughout. He succeeds
in drawing students in immediately by announcing, “So here’s a big question: Is design
an art, or a science?” He always keeps his slide text to a minimum, uses visuals
that complement the narration well, synchronizes the information display with his
narration, and demonstrates the proper use of a building slide.
Best Practice Guideline | Example 1 | Example 2 | Example 3 |
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Scripting |
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Complementary Visuals |
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Properly Building Screen |
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Signaling & Modality
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Matching Modality |
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Eliminate Distraction |
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Observe how smoothly he guides the listener; his signaling and cuing are not only
visual but often verbal as well. Every statement he makes follows like the next link
in the chain, and the thought connections are always clear. Starting with the lecture
title itself, he makes good use of questions at both ends of the lecture.
The qualities evident in his first video are on display here also, while the content
is broader and more involved. The duration is fine at 7:46. While the promotion of
active learning could be stronger yet, this video takes a solid step in that direction
through his use of guiding questions.
In Part 1 of this design case study, Peter’s instructional goal is to broaden student
understanding of Calatrava's bridge design beyond a purely logical, rational analysis.
Note the strategy he uses: He chooses a highly intriguing design object with which
to pose a "mystery", then guides his students through the critical thinking that
accounts for how it came to be.
At 0:59, when Peter is discussing the various bridge types, there is a break in
signaling because there are no text labels on screen to distinguish one type from
another. We would suggest a building series matching the narration, with associated
text labels and a color highlight used for each type as it is mentioned.
Best Practice Guideline | Example 1 | Example 2 | Example 3 | Example 4 | Example 5 |
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Grab Student Attention |
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Complementary Visuals |
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Conversational Style |
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Leveraging Verbal Skill |
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Signaling & Modality |
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Multiple Aspects
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Improvement Possible |
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In between Part One of the case study and Part Two, Peter poses the guiding questions shown below.
Take a few moments to consider the questions posed and reflect on them. How does this innovation in bridge design tie to creative thinking? What might be going on that led Calatrava to such new ideas? And, how might becoming aware of it (hello, critical thinking) help to focus the direction that Calatrava found himself returning to time and again?
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With a duration of 16:26, this is on the long side and could be chunked down into
two videos, possibly breaking at the introduction of Robert Maillart as the second
influence. There are two places in the video where some additional visuals would
likely improve understanding. Use the Improvement Possible category links associated
with the video to see these.
Another strong example from Peter. All of his lectures evidence the care he took
in planning and slide creation, which paid off handsomely in the recording studio.
Beyond the good use he made of Guiding Questions, the instructional effectiveness
of this video would be improved by following more of the design guidelines for promoting
active learning.
Following a concise review of Part 1 as a refresher, Peter's next goal is for students
to wrestle with the question of how Calatrava's designs took the form they did. His
strategy is to trace the architectural and engineering influences upon Calatrava
himself, leading to his own evolution of sculptural thought.
Peter grabs student attention early by posing a pair of great questions, which also
serve to structure the flow of the content. Near the end, he poses the question he
has been leading up to: "Why has this bridge design been imitated so often?" His
answer may surprise you.
Best Practice Guideline | Example 1 | Example 2 | Example 3 | Example 4 | Example 5 |
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Scripting |
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Grab Student Attention |
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Complementary Visuals |
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Conversational Style |
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Leveraging Verbal Skill |
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Signaling & Modality
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Matching Modality |
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Maximize Shelf Life |
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Guiding Questions |
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Multiple Aspects |
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Improvement Possible |
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