How long should the videos be?

In general, shorter course videos align better with learners’ attention spans and reduce cognitive fatigue. Research by Guo (2013), based on 6.9 million MOOC viewing sessions, found a sharp decline in student engagement after approximately 6 minutes. However, findings from a college based study by Lagerstrom (2015) suggested a different pattern: the median minutes watched by a college student during a single watching session was 12-13 minutes, with a mean in the range of 17- 20 minutes. Therefore, it is suggested the maximum video length would be in the range of 12-20 minutes, depending on the video purpose, style, and course subject (e.g., science or engineering content may require longer explanations).

For videos that need to cover substantial or complex content and approach or exceed this range, segmentation is an effective strategy. Breaking longer videos into shorter videos also allows students to revisit specific concepts more easily, supporting just-in-time review.
Another strategy is to follow up with a brief activity after each segmented video—such as a quiz, discussion prompt, or applied assignment—reinforces learning through retrieval practice and active engagement. This approach shifts students from passive viewing to active processing, which strengthens understanding and long-term memory.

Invest in Pre-production Planning

Thoughtful planning before recording, such as full scripting (or just key points), organizing visuals, and preparing equipment, can significantly improve the quality of the course videos. Pre-production reduces unnecessary pauses, filler language, and technical issues, resulting in a more concise and polished final product. In many cases, well-prepared self-productions, especially those filmed in a natural setting (office, lab, etc.) can feel more authentic and approachable and can be as effective as professional productions.

Use different video styles

Incorporating varied video styles, such as instructor talking heads, handwritten/drawing demonstrations, and slide-based explanations, helps sustain attention and accommodate different types of content.

The “talking head” format, in particular, supports social and teaching presence by allowing students to see facial expressions and nonverbal cues, which can increase students’ motivation and enhance connection between instructors and students. The demonstration (handwritten/drawing/slides) formats can help students visually engage with course content.

Mixing or alternating these video styles may prevent monotony and keep learners cognitively engaged. Studies (Deng, 2021) also suggested that the ‘balanced’ video style was linked to higher levels of students’ cognitive and emotional engagement.

Hand-writing/drawing vs. Narration Over Slides

Videos that feature instructors hand-writing or drawing (with a mouse or touch screen) concepts in real time often outperform static narration over slide presentations in terms of engagement. This “dynamic visualization” slows the pacing to match cognitive processing and helps learners follow the development of ideas step by step. It also creates a more personal and interactive feel, which can improve both attention and comprehension.

In the study by Fiorella and Mayer (2016), participants who watched the instructor draw in real time significantly outperformed the control group (who watched already-drawn visuals) on the transfer test. Similarly, Chen and Thomas (2020) indicated from their study that compared with narration over slides, a hand drawing type of lecture video turned out to be more engaging and supported better performance in students.

Maintain an Energetic Speaking Pace with Conversational Language

Students tend to engage more with videos where instructors speak at a slightly faster, natural conversational pace to create a sense of social connection between students and instructor. A more dynamic delivery can signal enthusiasm and keep learners attentive, as long as clarity is maintained. Brame (2016) suggested speaking rates in the 185–254 words per minute range for higher engagement. However, it is important to note that the goal is not to force yourself to speak faster as much as possible, but rather to bring out enthusiasm to the subject which is the most important factor for student engagement.

Embed Videos into Projects or Larger Assignments

Course videos can be more effective when they are embedded within a broader learning context rather than presented as standalone content, such as assignments or projects, which can potentially promote active engagement and immediate application. When students are required to use video content to complete a task, such as solving problems, answering questions, or participating in discussions, they are more likely to meaningfully engage with the videos rather than passively watch them. A “teaching-as-research” project (Zubair and Laibinis, 2015) done at Vanderbilt University embedded videos in a larger homework assignment in a chemical engineering class and found that the videos improved students’ understanding of difficult concepts when compared with a semester when the videos were offered in standalone places.

References

Guo, P. J., Kim, J., & Rubin, R. (2014, March). How video production affects student engagement: An empirical study of MOOC videos. The first ACM conference on learning at scale, Atlanta, GA

Chen, HT.M., Thomas, M. (2020) Effects of lecture video styles on engagement and learning. Education Tech Research Dev 68, 2147–2164. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-020-09757-6

Mayer, R.E., Fiorella, L. & Stull, A. Five ways to increase the effectiveness of instructional video. Education Tech Research Dev 68, 837–852 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-020-09749-6

Lagerstrom, L. (2015). The myth of the six minute rule: student engagement with online videos. Proceedings of the American Society for Engineering Education, 14-17.

Logan Fiorella, Richard Mayer (2015). Effects of Observing the Instructor Draw Diagrams on Learning From Multimedia Messages. Journal of Educational Psychology 108(4):528-546.

Brame CJ. (2016). Effective Educational Videos: Principles and Guidelines for Maximizing Student Learning from Video Content. CBE Life Sci Educ. 2016 Winter;15(4):es6. doi: 10.1187/cbe.16-03-0125. PMID: 27789532; PMCID: PMC5132380.

Zubair F, Laibinis P. Interactive videos to enhance student understanding of thermodynamic efficiency. 2015. Presentation at the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, held 11 November 2015 in Salt Lake City, UT.