The presentation is directed towards anyone who has a need to incorporate video into their class or event using a custom video player provided by YouTube. With the advent of YouTube, not only do you have access to content created by others but you have access to a web based video player to share your own video content. Very often, instructors using the web to share video had to work with complex tools such as Adobe Flash to showcase custom video selections. Or they embedded video in their websites but with less than desirable results due to poor aesthetics and usability to bandwidth issues that slowed downloading. All this combined to make the viewer experience very poor.
YouTube provides a much better experience for sharing video but issues arise when used in an educational environment. One problem that often arises is one of ‘distraction'. When the content you wish your class or event to view is on YouTube, often you send links to your class whereby they view the video but then often become sidetracked by associated content presented by YouTube. Another issue that arises, depending on your age group, may be offensive postings or comments in response to a video. These postings may not be appropriate for younger class members.
One way you can give your class or event a more focused listing of video content is through the use of a custom YouTube video player that contains playlists of your choosing. These playlists can contain video that you upload, your audience has uploaded, or relevant search results. The custom player is a feature offered to YouTube account holders that allows you to build one of two styles of custom players. Styles vary by color scheme and video thumbnail presentation. The two styles are also different in size depending upon how much webpage space you can allot to a video player. Once the player styles are selected, you can then generate the markup code that is then copied and pasted into your learning management system, content management system, or website. Every time you modify your playlist within your YouTube account, the changes are reflected wherever your custom video player resides.
Regarding video quality, YouTube recommends the use of the .mp4 file format. Very often the typical YouTube contributor is unaware of this recommendation or may not know what it is. Even though sufficient documentation exists on this topic, it can be a daunting experience. During this presentation, I will demonstrate the results of using an .mp4 and include tips on how to create an .mp4 from existing video in order to achieve higher quality video playback.
Combining the custom YouTube player with a mechanism for classroom interaction such as a blog, wiki, forum, etc. allows for a richer experience and keeps the students focused such that they do not need multiple browsers/tabs open which leads to distractions. Depending upon the vehicle you deploy your video player, you may even have the ability to track users as they watch the video.
The custom YouTube player has been successfully deployed in every class I have taught. Students found the centralized location of the video player containing the video very helpful in preparation for quizzes or exams and completion of assignments. Ultimately, it allows the instructor to often illustrate points that may be complex or hard to convey with text. The final piece to this presentation will be a demonstration of using a custom player in Angel, the learning management system currently used at Penn State University, and building a class assignment. The video will also incorporate the use of Annotations that will guide the viewer.
