The Web Accessibility Initiative website provides guidance on making audio and video recordings accessible.10 Basic guidelines include providing alternative text and audio description for visuals, as well as creating captions for audio and video recordings. Most LMS and digital authoring tools have audio and video recording capabilities with captioning features.
Encourage Active Learning
Online/remote instructors can promote active learning through myriad technological and multimedia components. As with in-person sessions and courses, remote instructors should periodically break from presenting content to engage learners in interactive and collaborative activities.
Virtual meeting platforms include polling and assessment features to help engage learners, as well as discussion and breakout room features to facilitate learner discussion and project collaboration.
Instructors can incorporate active learning activities into online presentations or remote course content. Many LMS audiovisual recording components include the ability to insert questions and feedback into recordings, allowing learners to pace and assess themselves. Most LMS and other digital platforms include learner discussion lists and collaborative work spaces.
When using such features, online instructors should maintain their presence by monitoring discussion to promote a respectful environment and providing timely constructive feedback on collaborative projects.11
Depending upon available resources and online/remote session or course needs, instructors may want to consider using free or low-cost products to engage learners. Many products offer interesting audiovisual, interactive and collaborative features:
- Edpuzzle and PlayPosit allow one to add audio and questions to videos;
- Flip allows one to record videos that learners can asynchronously respond to with comments, audio and video;
- Jeopardy Labs allows one to create and customize simple Jeopardy-like games for small groups;
- Loom is a video messaging tool that allows groups of creators to share multiple short videos;
- Nearpod allows one to create presentations with a wide variety of questions and interactive activities;
- Padlet is an online whiteboard that allows multiple users to synchronously post text, documents and multimedia content;
- Quizizz allows one to create gamified activities and assessments;
- Socrative and Wooclap are cloud-based learner response systems; and
- VoiceThread allows users to post and comment on documents and multimedia materials.
All of these products work with a variety of browsers, have varying file size limitations and vary pricing for private and educational users.
Laura E. Ray, MA, MLS, is the outreach and instructional service librarian at the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law.
Author’s note: Inclusion of learning management systems, digital tools and software products in this article does not imply endorsement of those products.
