Reporter: The micro-lesson is short and pithy, so how long the micro-lesson video is the most attractive?
Hu Tiesheng: According to edX statistics, no matter how long the video is, the actual median viewing time of users does not exceed 6 minutes. Moreover, the video of 6-9 minutes is an inflection point, and the median of actual viewing of longer videos will decrease. For example, if the video is longer than 12 minutes, the median actual viewing time is only 3 minutes. So there is a standard answer to the question "How short is the micro video?". Six minutes. This figure is hard to accept, because according to the habits of most teachers, six minutes can't finish anything, and 15 minutes is barely enough. But combined with the next conclusion, it is not necessarily impossible.
In June, 20 13, we analyzed the video duration of the first national primary and secondary school micro-lesson competition. The analysis results show that 3-7 minutes is the best duration, which is too long to be effective, too short to be clear or requires high video editing technology. That is, more than 87% of the micro-teaching videos are less than 10 minutes. 75% of the videos are between 5 and 8 minutes, less than 6% are less than 3 minutes, and less than 13% are more than 10 minutes. It can be seen that the longest video length of micro-lessons in primary and secondary schools should not exceed 10 minute, and 5-8 minutes is the most appropriate. Different subjects, different learning objects, slightly different.
It's important to speak quickly.
Reporter: The video is very short and should contain enough knowledge points. Is there any requirement for the lecturer's speaking speed?
Hu Tiesheng: Although statistics show that the speed of speech is not directly proportional to the attractiveness of the video, when the speed of speech reaches 185-254 words per minute, I estimate that I will speak 300 fewer Chinese words, and I can get more attention no matter how long the video is. The reason is easy to understand. Speaking fast is often accompanied by passion, which is infectious and can impress learners and make them more focused. Therefore, the more enthusiastic and even passionate a teacher is, the more attractive it will be to students.
The faster you speak, the shorter it takes to teach the same content, so that the video output can approach or even reach the suggested length of 6 minutes. As long as you make a plan before recording, make the content more compact and faster, no nonsense, no mechanical repetition (students can repeat it themselves), and cut off oral words such as "hmm" and "ah", a short and pithy video will be available.
To some extent, the shorter the teaching video of the same content, the higher the learning efficiency of students. This is the "language view" that teachers must have in making micro-lesson videos. Most micro-lesson videos get rid of the way of shooting in noisy classroom teaching scenes, and adopt "Khan Academy-style" video (one person for one-on-one tutoring, one computer, one microphone and one PPT courseware), which only records the contents and operations taught by the teacher (usually replaced by mouse or handwriting board), while the head and body movements of the teacher during the lecture are not recorded in the micro-lesson video. This requires that the teacher's language must have a clear voice, standard pronunciation, appropriate speech speed (even faster, because students can pause or watch videos repeatedly when watching faster and harder), be infectious, even humorous, and attract the attention of students in front of the computer.
The portrait of the teacher is by no means dispensable.
Reporter: Some people think that the micro-class is very short and exquisite, and the portrait of the lecturer is dispensable. What do you think of this problem?
Hu Tiesheng: For videos of more than 6 minutes, videos with teachers' lecture heads get more attention than videos with pure PPT and software operation. I think this is because the avatar has been moving, which is more refreshing than the monotonous recording picture that has been in a still picture. Personally, I really prefer to embed the avatar in a corner of the video, that is, in the form of picture-in-picture, but the premise is that PPT is reserved for that corner, and the avatar will not block the courseware content that should be seen.
With regard to headshots, our teachers and students in China don't have to completely copy the Khan Academy-style video recording method. In a specific teaching situation, the teacher's head portrait is also an important learning resource. In addition, China students are deeply influenced by traditional classroom teaching. Without headshots, teachers are naturally unaccustomed, and students will feel that without teachers' sense of existence, intimacy and supervision, their autonomous learning ability will be weakened, and they will be easily distracted after learning for a period of time. Therefore, Chinese-style micro-lesson video can take the "compromise" route-the teacher's head can appear at the beginning and end of the film, occasionally in the middle, when important content can appear, it can also appear at the time of summary, and even the picture position and size of the teacher's head can be set. This is easy to realize in the later editing of CS screen recording software.
Good at creating one-on-one feelings.
Reporter: Traditional offline education reminds us that face-to-face teaching and one-on-one teaching can achieve the best teaching effect. In the process of recording micro-lessons, what can be done to achieve one-on-one effect?
Hu Tiesheng: Teachers are used to the classroom atmosphere-blackboard/big screen, pointer or PPT laser pointer, standing on the platform, walking around, all students face the teacher, and even arrange some students to pretend to be listeners to arouse the interest in the lecture. However, data analysis shows that this kind of video recorded in the classroom/studio with expensive equipment is not as attractive as the private recording method with lower cost. The teacher is sitting in front of the camera with the office as the background. If you give lectures like individual tutoring, the effect is the best. This is easy to produce intimacy, which is most suitable for the learning environment where students sit in front of the computer.
The key point here is to let students have a one-on-one feeling of sitting down, and the direct-looking lens basically creates this feeling. Use "you" instead of "you" and "we" instead of "everyone" in language, and the atmosphere will be there. Many teachers who don't know this way always say "hello, classmates" at the beginning of the course, and usually "play out" at that moment.
This is very important. Micro-courses are designed and made for students' autonomous learning and one-on-one efficient learning, and are for students rather than teachers. One-to-one learning contains the flattest learning concept-students directly interact with the learning content or explain the operation process, and there are no redundant, irrelevant or even ineffective intermediate teaching links such as discussing, sharing, communicating and answering with classmates in traditional classroom teaching. Even if there is, it is the students' thinking and activities alone in their hearts. Students can learn on demand according to their hobbies and styles-easy content can be skipped, places they don't understand can be read repeatedly, relevant materials can be paused to understand the relevant basic knowledge, and then continue reading. When reading, they can ask questions, do problems and take notes online. After mastering 100%, they can watch the next lesson. This kind of learning efficiency is particularly high, without leaving any gaps, and poor students will never form again.
Handwriting screen/pen is the most worthwhile device to record lessons.
Reporter: We have noticed that in the video courseware of mathematics and physics, all the lecturers will use the stylus. Is this necessary equipment for recording video?
Hu Tiesheng: The video of Khan Academy is a typical stylus (tablet) application, so some scholars simply call it "Khan style". Statistics show that students are more willing to spend 1.5-2 times the time on Khan video than the traditional simple screen recording micro-class. The teacher draws while talking, which really feels like a one-on-one lecture. Or give lectures on the whiteboard/blackboard, or sketch the contents to be emphasized on ppt. The effect of the stylus is far better than the single instruction and play of the mouse. It allows students to know clearly where to look and think with the teacher's ideas faithfully, thus realizing learning.
Visualization of process thinking.
For teachers majoring in mathematics, physics, science or fine arts, a stylus with tens of yuan or high-end hundreds of yuan is really worth investing.
It is difficult to "write" a good blackboard book with a mouse. Handwritten electromagnetic screen and stylus are very worthy of being equipped with video recording tools for micro-courses.
The more active students are, the higher their grades will be.
Reporter: We know that the stronger students' active learning ability, the better their grades. How to attract such students by offering large-scale open online courses?
Hu Tiesheng: Research shows that the proportion of active students who choose courses from half a month before the formal start of the new course to the deadline for the first assignment of the course is much higher than that of students who choose courses at other times. Therefore, the best time to promote large-scale open online courses is before and after the start of the course.
However, it is worth mentioning that since the beginning of the course, even after the end of the course, a high proportion of students have joined the course but only watched videos. Although you don't hand in your homework or take exams, you can get something from the video, which is also the embodiment of the value of the course. Therefore, some large-scale open online courses are completely closed after the end, and even videos are not shown to people, which is inappropriate. In addition, 60% of the students choose the course before the course starts, so a long notice period is necessary.
Reporter: What is the position of the forum in the large-scale open network curriculum?
Hu Tiesheng: Basically, a student's final grade is directly proportional to the number of times he watches videos, takes exams, hands in homework and participates in forum interactions. Also should be the old saying "no pains, no gains". However, there is a unique phenomenon in the activities of "reading forums", which will become inversely proportional within the range of 80- 100, that is, the higher the score, the fewer forums to read. This shows that Xueba is not highly dependent on the forum. The forum mainly serves non-schoolmasters.
But don't think that Xueba has no contribution to the forum. In fact, they are very important. Statistics show that the students who occupy the forum sofa are very active in the forum (few people are displayed on the side), with an average score of more than 80 points.
Reporter: Is there any way to improve the activity of the forum?
Hu Tiesheng: The third lecture of ML introduced the medal system commonly used in the game in the forum, and as a result, the activity of the forum increased a lot. And the more obvious the medal is displayed (for example, next to the user's name), the more it can stimulate activities. Of course, there are also negative effects, that is, the increase in malicious voting.
Reporter: According to statistics, what is the problem of the low pass rate of large-scale open online courses?
Hu Tiesheng: Statistics show that no video has become an obvious learning terminator, but there are indeed some homework problems that have become obstacles. A large number of students hang on it, and then there is no more. This shows that the great reason for stopping learning is difficulty, not simple laziness. If we can provide more help in the process of solving problems, such as online counseling and answering questions by volunteers, pushing personalized learning resources, regularly studying diagnostic reports and suggestions, and advanced incentive mechanism for integral learning, we can help students go further.
Teachers must brainwash in order to do a good job in online courses.
Reporter: Teachers teach well offline, but not necessarily online, which leads to the low enthusiasm of some teachers who participate in large-scale open online courses. What do you think is the reason?
Hu Tiesheng: Although the analysis of these two papers is far from comprehensive and rigorous, they are frank and flawed. However, these conclusions are instructive and thought-provoking. They emphasized the point that we can't copy the habits and patterns of classroom teaching into online courses. Teaching is an object-oriented and goal-oriented activity. The teaching objects of online courses are complicated, including age, foundation, region, work and rest habits, cultural background and so on. And the purpose of learning is also diverse, such as getting a certificate, studying deeply, understanding roughly and solving the problem at hand. Coupled with the drastic changes in learning tools and environment, it is conceivable that the effect of copying classroom teaching will be worse. Nowadays, more and more teachers are beginning to set foot in online education, putting down their traditional teaching habits and concepts, and relearning how to teach online with a "little white" mentality is a solid first step.
Source: China Distance Education (Information)
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