The fall semester is in session and students are back on campus! With a fresh set of syllabi in the hands of students, now more than ever is a great time to reflect on the way academic information can be better communicated going forward. One exciting concept to consider—video. Check out these 5 ways to incorporate video content into your institution’s syllabi next semester for improved student engagement.

Introduction Video

Did you know the class syllabus is likely a student’s first impression of their instructor? Based on research conducted by Simple Syllabus, 55% of syllabi reach students before the first day of class. By incorporating a short 30-second video, instructors can stand out and grab a student’s attention. The content does not have to be complicated to give students a chance to informally meet the instructor and know what to expect in advance. According to 68% of educators, video content helps stimulate conversation and there is no better time to get that started than the first day of class!

Jazz Up The Course Overview

Increasingly, schools rely more on tuition for funding than state appropriations and other channels. For schools that offer distance learning or continuing education options, the ability to recruit prospective students is paramount. Incorporating a Course Overview video can help an institution better illustrate the material covered within a course and get a prospective student interested enough to talk to someone. It can also help students discover programs they have never considered previously. For students already registered, 66% of educators believe video can help with motivation.

Explain Complicated Material

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then what is a video worth? The average college syllabus is more than six pages long, with some over 15 pages in length. Video can help explain things in much greater detail, faster! For content that may be more involved, consider adding a video explanation. For instance, a short clip explaining the grading scale and how to have success in the class can be a welcome addition for students.

Embed Other Resources

Sometimes it helps to phone a friend, or in this case, video them. The proliferation of free content on the internet makes it much easier to supplement the material in your classroom. When designing your syllabus, consider embedding the required or suggested digital resources for quick reference by students. Since many platforms are willing to host the content externally, (such as YouTube), it is much easier to accommodate this type of class structure. The benefits of this are substantial! According to a recent survey by Cisco, 61% of educators believe video content is preferred by students over traditional mediums.

Include Instructions

In a recent survey conducted by Simple Syllabus, 54% of students felt that the content contained within their class syllabi needed improvement. The greatest area of complaint? The assignment list and class schedule. Instructors can now enhance the syllabus and provide students with better information by including instructional videos. Show a video on submitting a digital assignment or explain to students how to format their documents properly directly from within the syllabus.

Looking for more ways to improve your institution’s academic content?

Visit the Research Library for a collection of reports that include benchmarking, best practices, and higher education trends regarding the management of class syllabi and academic content.