14 Tools and Resources to Get Students to Create Instructional Videos

“Animation offers a medium of storytelling and visual entertainment which can bring pleasure and information to people of all ages everywhere in the world.” – Walt Disney

Research indicates that one of the most effective ways students learn is by teaching others. In my new book, Hacking Digital Learning Strategies: 10 Ways to Launch EdTech Missions in Your Classroom, students are sent on a mission to instruct others by creating their own video tutorials. Other ways students can teach others is by creating explainer videos (sometimes called One Take Videos), Do It Yourself (DIY) videos, or How-To Videos. These videos help students visualize and explain in their own words their understanding of the topic. Additionally, these videos save you time if you are flipping instruction and need a library of instructional videos. No need for you to create the videos. Your students will have a much valuable learning experience if they create their own. Future students can learn with these videos and create others to demonstrate the same concepts. Below are some tips, web tools, and resources to get your students started.

Get your copy of Hacking Digital Learning, The 30 Goals Challenge, or Learning to Go. Ask me about training your teachers, ShellyTerrell@gmail.com!

Process and Resources

First show students examples of the type of video they will produce. Find several examples in the list below:
- Common Craft
- Six Second Science
- DIY videos children’s community with examples by children
- DIY Sun Science videos for children and iOS app
- Darby social network and iOS app to watch and create how-to videos.
- Math Train math videos by students
- Find more DIY videos here and here
Students choose a topic for their explainer, DIY, or instructional videos. These videos should be no longer than 3 minutes and some can be as short as six seconds.
Give students time to write the scripts for their videos and storyboard them.
- Click here for a free storyboard template to copy/edit.
- Here’s a great resource on writing a script for an explainer video.
- Check out this video on how to create a Common Craft video and this lesson plan.
- Check out this resource on creating explainer videos with Moovly.
- Check out this lesson plan on creating Simple One Take Videos.
Students will need time to gather their props or create illustrations for their videos if this is the option you choose.
- Check out this video showing a group of students behind the scenes creating their Common Craft videos.
A better option is to choose a web tool or app with a template to create their videos quickly. This will cut down the amount of time students spend completing the task.
- Suggested free web tools with templates- My Simple Show, Biteable, Powtoon, Wideo, RenderForest, Moovly, Raw Shorts, and WeVideo.
- Suggested free web apps- create how-to videos with the Darby iOS app, Get-Puppet iOS app, Explain Everything iOS/Android app, Lensoo iOS/Android app, Show Me iOS/Android app, and Educreations iOS app.
Students produce their videos and get their peers to view them, complete the tasks, and provide feedback.