Publication #AEC346
Video-Based Distance Education1
Definitions
Many ways exist to get a video signal from the origination site to a remote site. Following is a brief definition/description of video delivery methods. - Satellite -- A television signal is sent up (uplink) to a satellite in geostationary orbit; the signal is then amplified and sent down to Earth. Sites with a receiving dish (downlink) and the satellite transmission coordinates will be able to view the program. Satellite transmission is used when a video program has to be sent to many sites simultaneously. This is a one-way delivery method (origination site to the remote site). Many schools, universities and industries and some homes have satellite downlink dishes.
- Videotape -- VHS videotapes can be used to deliver educational programming to schools or to individuals in their homes.
- Cable television -- Many cable companies provide "community access" television channels to the city. Some community access channels are used for educational programming. The advantage to this method is everyone who has cable television in a city is a potential student. However, delivery is limited to the cable company's service area.
- Videoconferencing is two-way audio and video. People at two or more sites can see each other. A compressed video signal is sent over standard telephone lines. As a result of the compression to get the video through the telephone lines, the picture quality is not as crisp as what we are accustomed to in "regular" television. Compressed video can be delivered only to locations that have specialized equipment.
Televised Instruction's Effectiveness
Whittington (1987) and his staff at the Coordinating Board of the Texas College and University System reviewed more than 100 published and unpublished documents on the subject of television's instructional effectiveness. The literature review indicated that television is a "technological device for transmitting communication and has no intrinsic effect, for good or ill, on student achievement" (p. 54-55). Russell (1994) cited 44 studies and 21 research summaries from 1954 through 1992, encompassing more than 800 separate studies of all levels of instruction from elementary through graduate education to the military, that show "no significant difference" in terms of students' learning between video-mediated classes and a "traditional" classroom. TV Team
Television production has specialized job positions. Following are some of the people you might work with in a television production. - Producer -- Plans the overall "look" of the program, in consultation with the instructor, and assists in the design of the course.
- Director -- Directs the behind-the-scenes action (cameras, audio, floor director). In many educational television productions, the same person performs the roles of producer and director.
- Floor director -- Serves as the director's presence in the studio and directs the action on the studio floor.
- Host -- Sometimes, you will want to have another person host the program, usually as part of a seminar when many guests will be involved. Hosts can be local television personalities who are accustomed to live television.
Planning
Once you determine that television is the correct medium for your distance education production, arrange a meeting with the television producer who will be in charge of helping you develop your program. You will discuss your plans and goals for the program or course. Several more meetings likely will take place. If you're designing a semester-long course, then meetings should start at least six months to a year in advance. You'll need this much time to develop your course materials and to shoot any video that may be necessary. It's a good idea to develop a timeline to ensure you will complete all necessary parts of the production. You may want to develop a word-for-word script, if most of the material will be read. Otherwise, an outline -- otherwise known as a rundown in television -- may be all that's required. In either case, consideration must be made for how long segments within the program should be. Television is a time-based medium; once the time runs out, you're off the air. So it's vital that the content and timing be as coordinated as possible. You and the television producer will discuss how to estimate time length for a program. Scripting should be in a narrative style; write like you talk. The script doesn't necessarily have to be grammatically correct. Write in fragments. That's OK. What you're writing on paper won't be seen; it'll just be heard. Presentational Style
You may need to alter your presentational style for televised educational programming. The list below will give you an idea of some items to consider before you plan your program. (Refer to the Extension fact sheet Instructional Methods for Distance Education for some other teaching strategy suggestions.) - Walking around . If at all possible, it's best to limit walking around, because it may be distracting for viewers. Instead, try sitting at a desk or standing. If you can't break the "walking habit," box off a small area on the floor with masking tape and do not allow yourself to go outside the box.
- Hand movements . Minimize quick, wide-sweeping hand movements in a compressed video environment. Compressed video is sent across telephone lines at a lower frame-rate than broadcast television; as a result, the images tend to look "jerky" if you move your arms too quickly.
- Addressing the camera . Look directly at the camera as much as possible, even to the point of addressing the camera when you talk to someone in the same room with you. This practice helps the participants at other locations feel as if you are talking directly to them. Instructors and site facilitators should guide participants at remote sites to address the camera.
- Microphone placement . Clip-on microphones should be placed about six inches below the chin with the microphone cable hidden under a person's shirt or blouse.
- Pause . Pause more often than in a traditional face-to-face setting. This will give the remote participants time to ask questions.
- Clothes . Avoid pure white clothing. Many cameras will overcompensate for the white area of clothing and darken the rest of the picture. Pure black and navy blue are too contrasting when worn with light-colored shirts. In general, it's best to stay away from extremely light or dark colors. Concentrate on mid-tones. Also, avoid clothes with tight stripes or small plaids. They turn rainbow colors or cause a zebra stripe-like effect on television.
- Jewelry . Avoid shiny jewelry. Jewelry that sparkles creates flashes of light in the camera.
Graphics and Slides for Video
Visual materials such as overheads, slides and computer graphics should be designed in a 3 (height) by 4 (length) ratio. A television screen is a 3-by-4 ratio. Photographic slides are a 2-by-3 ratio. What that means is some material on the edges of a slide will be lost when it is transferred to video. If there's something on a slide that you need to show, make sure that it is near the center of the screen. Here are some more general guidelines on preparing graphics and slides for video: - Safe area . The central 80 percent of a computer monitor constitutes the "safe area" for transferring text and graphics to video. Keep all information in this area, or it may be cut off on the edges of the video monitor.
- Number of words/lines . Too many words on a television or computer screen make the information difficult to read. A good rule is to limit words to six per line and six lines per screen. Information is best presented using "bullet" points or key words.
- Letters . It is difficult to read all upper-case letters. A combination of lower-case and upper-case letters should be used.
- Colors . Bright, saturated colors are difficult to read on a television or computer screen. A blue background with yellow or white text usually looks the best. Avoid red as a text color. Red letters tend to "bleed" into each other, making reading difficult. The text should have a slight drop shadow.
- Font size . Use a minimum font size of 32 points. Bigger (up to 48-point) is better.
- Think visually . Include graphics material that tells your story.
- Think "purpose." What's the purpose of the graphic? Each visual should make a point.
Handling Stagefright
Now you've finished all the right things to prepare yourself for televised instruction. The planning is all done, you have your materials, and you're wearing appropriate clothing. You arrive at the television studio on time, and then "IT" hits. YOU are the one who is going to be in front of the camera. You've got butterflies in your stomach, and your palms are sweating. How do you handle stagefright? Following are a few tips: - Be prepared . Read over your material beforehand.
- Before the program starts, take a deep breath, get a drink of water, laugh, or yawn . (Why yawn? Because you can't yawn and be tense at the same time. Even a nervous laugh to yourself will help relieve tension.) You have to find your own way of dealing with nervousness.
- Prior to the program, review taped performances to identify presentation strengths and weaknesses .
- Prepare your voice . Many people are self-conscious about the way they sound. One way to lessen this fear is by relaxing your throat with a glass of lemon and hot water before leaving your house. Also, certain foods and beverages coat your throat, causing difficulty in swallowing and speaking; stay away from cola drinks, chocolates and dairy products.
"One Moment Please"
One last word about technical difficulties: relax . It doesn't make you feel exceptionally good inside when you know that your students are experiencing Technical Difficulties, Please Stand By . As with any other electronic medium, there may be some technical glitches, but as more classes are distributed via a video-based medium, technical difficulties will become less of a problem. Students will overlook some glitches if they get the content they need. References
- Russell, T. (1994). The "no significant difference "phenomenon as reported in research reports, summaries, and papers . Raleigh, NC: North Carolina State University.
- Whittington, N. (1987). Is instructional television educationally effective? A research review. The American Journal of Distance Education , 1(1), 47-55.
Footnotes
1. This document is AEC346, one of a series of the Agricultural Education and Communication Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Original publication date June 1999. Reviewed June 2003. Visit the EDIS Web Site at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.
2. Ricky W. Telg is Assistant Professor, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, 32611.The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal
Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational
information and other services only to individuals and institutions
that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed,
color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital
status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations.
For more information on obtaining other extension publications,
contact your county Cooperative Extension service.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service,
University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative
Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Larry Arrington, Dean.
