Submitting assignments in video format presents a dynamic alternative to traditional assessment methods. It provides students with a more interactive way to showcase their knowledge while honing essential skills such as creativity and oral communication.

In this article, we'll explore the benefits of this innovative format and offer practical tips on how to integrate it effectively into your teaching strategies, bringing new energy to your classes and expanding your assessment toolkit.

The Value of Video in Student Assessment

Video projects present a lot of benefits for student assessment, incorporating creative, cognitive, and technical elements that far surpass traditional evaluation methods. Here are several compelling reasons to integrate them into your teaching strategy ⬇️

• Fostering Creativity: Video assignments provide students with a unique platform to showcase their understanding of the subject matter in an innovative way. By allowing them to incorporate learned concepts into formats they are familiar with—such as social media platforms like TikTok—learning becomes significantly more engaging and motivating.
• Better Content Assimilation: To create a compelling video, students must not only grasp the material but also be able to present it in a clear and engaging manner. Video assignments inherently require prior content assimilation, which effectively eliminates any risk of plagiarism or concerns related to the use of AI.
• Enhancing Oral Skills: Creating videos compels students to refine their articulation, posture, and ability to convey their ideas effectively. These public speaking skills are vital not only for their academic journey but also for their future professional lives.

4 Types of Videos to Ace Your Assignment Presentation

These videos can take on various forms depending on the educational goal and the time available (a more elaborate video will naturally require more energy and resources).

The screencast video

Do you want your students to deliver their assignments in a simple yet effective manner? Then, the screencast is definitely the way to go! A screencast involves recording a dual-source video: the first source being the student's webcam and the second, the computer screen.

Pros 👍

• Creating a screencast video requires minimal technical skills. Simply ensure you have a standard-quality webcam—your computer's built-in webcam should be enough! In some cases, a headset or earphones with an integrated microphone can be beneficial. Don't hesitate to conduct sound tests beforehand to guarantee good recording quality.
• The screencast is the least time-consuming video format. However, a brief preparation is advised to organise your ideas and structure your presentation. Consider creating presentation slides to visually support your topic. After recording, the post-production phase will be equally brief: you can make minor adjustments (such as trimming the video or adding background music), but nothing too elaborate—what matters most is the content itself.

Cons 👎 

• Compared to the other formats detailed below, screencasts offer less room for creative execution. However, this doesn't mean you can't infuse creativity into your presentation. For instance, using narrative techniques can significantly engage your audience and make your content more compelling.

The storytelling video

Speaking of storytelling, if you want your students to fully immerse themselves in the creation of a video, then this format is perfect!

Depending on the subject matter, the video can take on various forms. You could have your students create a documentary, a short film, or even a news bulletin. These different formats allow students to explore their creative side in an engaging and enjoyable way. It's an excellent approach to reinforce learning and ensure knowledge retention!

Pros 👍 

• Enhanced memory anchoring through hands-on application of learned concepts.

Cons 👎

• This format demands extensive preparation, execution, and post-production work to achieve an optimal quality result. However, if well-executed, the final product will undoubtedly leave a lasting impression.

The interview

This type of video involves setting up an engaging dialogue between a student (or a group of students) and a "resource person", such as a subject matter expert, a professor, or even another student with a unique perspective on the topic. It can also take the form of a filmed podcast, where multiple participants engage in a roundtable discussion.

Pros 👍 

• This format inspires students to ask insightful questions and deepen their understanding of the topic.
• Beyond theoretical knowledge, interviews cultivate practical skills such as effective communication, question formulation, and interview management.
• An interview can unveil unique perspectives or anecdotes that aren't found in traditional sources, making the content more engaging and dynamic. This greatly enhances memory retention!

Cons 👎

• Conducting an interview requires meticulous preparation, both in terms of content and logistics (scheduling with the interviewee, managing recording time, etc.). Additionally, it's crucial to ensure the filming location is quiet and that the audio equipment is of high quality to achieve a professional outcome.
• Editing an interview can be more intricate, especially when multiple camera angles or audio sources are involved. It's crucial to pay special attention to the synchronisation of both visuals and sound to ensure a seamless and professional final product.

The demonstration video

The demonstration video is an excellent choice for assignments that require practical demonstrations, be it in scientific, technical, or even artistic subjects.

This format allows students to illustrate how to solve a problem step-by-step or to present a scientific experiment in a visual and instructional manner. For instance, a science student might tackle a given topic by proposing a scientific hypothesis and demonstrating it through an experiment, while a math student could explain the resolution of a complex equation.

Pros 👍 

• The demonstration video is particularly effective in making abstract concepts more tangible. Students can use diagrams, physical objects, or software to illustrate their explanations, which greatly enhances understanding and knowledge retention for the viewers.
• This format compels students to apply their theoretical knowledge in practice. By explaining a concept to others, they ensure they have a deep understanding of it themselves, thereby reinforcing their own learning.

Cons 👎

• The success of a demonstration video heavily relies on the quality of the footage and editing. Poor video capture or subpar audio can significantly detract from the clarity of the explanations. Therefore, it's crucial to ensure that the equipment used—whether it's the camera, microphone, or software—is suitable for the task and well-understood by the user.
• This format necessitates thorough preparation in advance, particularly in planning each step of the demonstration and ensuring all required materials are ready on the day of recording.

Our Tips Before You Get Started

Before embarking on your video creation journey, it's crucial to follow certain steps to maximise the impact of your production. Here are some essential guidelines to help you along the way.

Storyboarding

Storyboarding is the cornerstone of captivating your audience from start to finish. It involves meticulously planning your video from beginning to end by clearly defining your educational objective and structuring your narrative in a logical and engaging manner. Once your content is well-organised, remember to think about additional resources you might want to include in your video to enhance your points, such as attachments, links, or even interactive activities. Below, you'll find our educational script template to guide you through this crucial step 👇

The technical quality of your video is just as crucial as its content. Take the time to fine-tune technical settings such as the camera angle to provide a clear and professional perspective, the audio to ensure your message is easily understood, and the lighting to make the image pleasing to watch. Mastering these aspects helps avoid unnecessary distractions, keeping the focus on your message.

Your on-camera posture and tone of voice

The way you present yourself on camera can significantly impact how your message is received. Adopt an open and natural posture that exudes confidence and credibility. Be mindful of your gestures; they should complement your speech without being overly distracting. As for your tone, it’s crucial to strike a balance between dynamism and clarity. Speak with enthusiasm to capture attention, but ensure you remain understandable and articulate. Tailor your body language and tone to your target audience to establish a deeper connection with those who will be watching your video.

Rehearsals and practice sessions

Finally, don't underestimate the importance of rehearsals before the final recording. By practicing multiple times, you'll gain fluency and confidence, which will be evident in the quality of your video. Rehearsals also allow you to test technical aspects in a real-world setting, tweak the script details, and ensure your speech is polished to perfection. The more comfortable you are, the more persuasive your message will be!

How to Set Up Student Assignment Submissions in Moodle and Brightspace?

Now that you're convinced of the added value of using video to assess your students, you're likely wondering how to integrate it into your existing toolset. The best part is that this can be seamlessly accomplished through your LMS, Moodle or Brightspace for example. Thanks to the Nudgis plugin developed by UbiCast, which is available in the Moodle and Brightspace plugin directory, you can easily make video submissions a part of your educational toolkit!

Thanks to this integration, you can not only teach using educational videos but also convey assignment instructions through video.

From the student’s perspective, they have the flexibility to either record a video (capturing both their screen and webcam) or upload a pre-recorded video to fulfill the assignment requirements directly within the Moodle or the Brightspace platform, without ever leaving their virtual workspace. To make their video assignments more engaging, students can also enrich their content with comments, attachments, chapters, polls, or quizzes in the video’s sidebar. This added social dimension will help captivate their audience and foster greater interaction with their content.

To learn more about the steps to set up student assignment submissions using the Nudgis plugin by UbiCast, I invite you to watch those short videos below 👇

Conclusion

Submitting assignments via video is an innovative and enriching approach for both educators and students. This format helps to harness and develop skills that are often underused in traditional classroom settings, such as synthesis ability, oral fluency, creativity, and teamwork.

By giving students the opportunity to create content in a fun and engaging way, you help them stay connected to their everyday habits while deeply embedding knowledge. Video projects can take various forms, tailored to specific educational objectives and quality expectations.

With the integration of UbiCast into Moodle and Brightspace, everything becomes simpler: you can upload or record your videos directly within the assignment module, all without leaving your usual LMS workspace. So, there's no excuse not to give it a try! Ready to get started?