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By Bryan Gillespie, Sparky Awards Video. Fall 2009.

General Instructions

You have been assigned to small groups to prepare a video podcast.The objective of this assignment is three-fold:

·to integrate the rhetorical skills you have been developing thus far in the course, especially with regard to the strategies and tactics used to clearly convey instruction or other information in a digital context.

·to work as a team researching, designing, and presenting an informative and instructive text to the class.

·to develop basic facility with a variety of multi-media tools.

Choosing a Topic:

Your topic can be informational and related to your blog entries: like a video podcast on the pros and cons of the Iphone5, or a breakdown of the latest scientific discovery for laypeople, or a commentary on the latest boneheaded move by Microsoft. These videos should be timely and interesting.

Or your video can be instructional. Using the techniques you learned in the Instruction Set, create a video that teaches an audience how to do or understand something.

In all cases, the videos should be professional and of the highest possible quality.

Note: Although you will be asked to research the topic further, choose a topic that you or someone in your group already has a strong interest in.

Below is a list of topics students have had success with in the past, but you should feel free to come up with your own topic:

How to Rock Climb

Social Media and Your Job

How to Dress for Success

How to Survive a Formal Business Dinner

How to do a Backflip and Somersault.

Image source: Flickr. Me and My Camera by striatic. 2011.

By Alan Githens, Steven Erikson and Victor Dropik. Instructional Video. Spring 2011.

Creating and Researching Your Project

Most students use I-Movie to create their projects, but other media (or a combination of media) can work as well.Remember that these videos will become part of your professional e-portfolio.

These videos will also require research to deepen your knowledge on the topic.Plan on including at least 3 high-quality content sources in your Works Cited. These sources are in addition to any audio and/or visual resources you will use

Videos should also:

Be between 3 and 5 minutes long.
Utilize a variety of communication techniques, including video, photos, music, voice-over, written text, etc.
Be of high technical quality. Take advantage to the many technical resources available (do not feel limited to the ones we discuss in class).
Follow the conventions of technical writing and communicating, including organization, cohesion, design, etc.
Be memorable. Videos should demonstrate creativity and professionalism.
Have all sources (including audio/visual AND at least 3 content sources) properly attributed.

By Ali Zambanini and Stephanie Barnard. Liberal Arts Instructional Video. Fall 2010.

Grading

Your score for your video will be determined based on a rubric that will be discussed in class. Your video grade will be worth 10% of your total course grade.

Prizes will be awarded to the best videos during our Video Awards Ceremony.

Video_grading_Rubric.doc

Video Ideas

Tech Videos: CNET Videos

Tech Videos: GeekBrief

Instructional Videos: Howcast

Medical Videos: Healthvideo.com

Great Ideas: TED Talks

Instructional Videos: Writing Center (simple but cool)

Podcasts from Previous Classes

More Video Podcasts from Previous Classes