How to create video tutorials

STEP 1 – PICK A TOPIC

● What topic during lectures or the

assignment was confusing to you?
● What topic are other students in the

forums asking about or seem confused

by?
● What topic may help students complete

their current mini-project?

 How to create video tutorials

STEP 2 – STUDY THE TOPIC

● Make sure that you understand the topic

well enough to be able to teach it and
answer questions.
● Research how different people have

explained this topic.

 How to create video tutorials
STEP 3 – NARROW DOWN THE TOPIC

Videos are limited to 15 minutes in length and

ideally they should be shorter. So:

● Find the most important idea from your

study on the topic and concentrate your
video on it.
 How to create video tutorials
STEP 4 – CREATE VISUALS
● Using any method available to you, create the
visual aids that you need to explain the topic. Visual
aids can be things like graphics, snippets of code,
output of working programs.
● Make visuals large enough to be seen in a video by

people using different screen resolutions. Note that

a screen capture of the text in CodeSkulptor is
usually too small. You must make that text bigger.
 How to create video tutorials
STEP 5 – WRITE THE NARRATIVE
1) Write down the key topics that you want to cover in your
video.
2) Organize the topics in a logical sequence.
3) Fill in the sentences you will use to teach the topic. If you
are having trouble with this step, explain the topic out loud
as if you were doing so to another student. Write down what
you said.
4) Read everything you wrote down out loud and make sure
that it sounds good and makes sense.
5) Time yourself reading the “script” you just created out loud.
Read slowly. Edit your text and repeat steps 4 and 5 until
your script can be read in under 15 minutes, ideally 7 to 9
minutes.
6) Practice reading the script out loud. Fix any problems in the
script as you practice.
 How to create video tutorials
STEP 6 – RECORD THE VIDEO

You can use any software that you have to

make the video.

● You will need a microphone.

● You do not need to record your face,

instead concentrate on recording your

voice and visuals in Step 4.
● Read from your script. Speak slowly.

● Change visuals as necessary while

reading.
 How to create video tutorials
STEP 7 – SHARE THE VIDEO

● Upload video to a video sharing site like

YouTube.
● Post the link to your video in the forum

thread started by the professors for this

topic. There will be a different forum
thread each week.
 How to create video tutorials
SOFTWARE RECORDING TIPS

● You can use any software that you like to

record your video. Last year's winner
used http://www.screencast-o-matic.com/
which works on Win, Mac, and Linux
through a Java program in your browser.
● Record at 640x480 resolution if possible.

● Make sure there is no background noise.

● Test the recording software with a short

10 sec video. Upload it. Make sure audio

and video is good.