Common Craft Blog
A Model for Applying Common Craft Videos
By leelefever on February 09, 2009 - 10:54am
People often ask how our presentation quality videos are used in professional and educational settings. From talking to educators and influencers, we've learned that our videos are often used to introduce a subject - to get everyone on the same page at the beginning of a class, workshop, etc. Recently, as part of our planning for 2009, we came up with a model that helps tell this story. We call it the A-to-Z Scale.
The scale represents the path to learning a subject. On the left side are the basic, fundamental ideas. On the right, the details and applications of the ideas.
For example, let's consider the subject of biology. We might find topics like these at corresponding parts of the scale:
As you can see, the scale goes from big, fundamental ideas to specific details.
When we think about our videos and how they can be applied, we think about the scale and what parts of it represent the biggest opportunities for us to have a positive impact.
The Problem We See:
We believe that one of the real problems in explaining subjects is that people assume too much about what people already know. Their explanation doesn't account for people who are new to the ideas and have major knowledge gaps. They start in the middle of the scale:
When this happens, people feel lost. They don't have context for what is being taught or how the idea fits into the big picture. They're forced to build on an insufficient foundation.
Of course, this isn't surprising. If the explainer had to account for every knowledge gap, it would be difficult to move people down the scale. It takes valuable time to get everyone on the same page.
The Opportunity:
We believe that the left side of the scale has been neglected for too long. Educators and influencers don't have time to cover all the basics and they often lack quality resources. We've heard this many times "I used to spend hours trying to make sure everyone gets the big ideas, but now I just show them your video and everyone gets up to speed together."
This highlights how we see our videos fitting into the world. Our goal is to focus on the left side of the scale and ensure that viewers come away with the fundamental ideas that create a solid foundation for a subject. Educators and influencers can use the videos to introduce a subject and then spend their valuable time moving people down the scale.
A Caveat:
It may seem that we're orienting our videos around only fundamental ideas. This is not the case. The scale can be applied to almost any subject. For example, in terms of biology as a whole, the left side of the scale surely focuses on broad fundamentals. However, if we apply the scale to DNA gene mapping, our focus on the left side still applies. We would focus on the big ideas behind DNA gene mapping and leave the details to educators.
Use Case:
For example, let's consider a class on the subject of personal finance. It may be easy for the instructor to assume that everyone understands the basics of compound interest or annual percentage rates. Because it would take too long to get everyone up to speed, she chooses to spend time explaining more detailed ideas like buying a home and Insurance. She starts at about "K" on the scale.
People learn, but some in the class can't see the big picture because they have knowledge gaps regarding some of the basic ideas that create a foundation for understanding things like buying a home and insurance. They need a way to start learning at "A" instead of "K."
In the case above, Our Financial Basics Series, which is aimed at the left side of the scale, gives the instructor a fun and easy way to get the class on the same page and ensure that everyone can see the big picture. It helps her move quickly from A to K, so that her valuable time is spent on the details.
To Conclude:
In 2009 and beyond, our videos will be aimed at the left side of the scale. We want our videos to save educators and influencers valuable time by creating videos that fill basic knowledge gaps and get learners on the same page so that they can spend time where their time is most effective - on the right side of the scale.
Basics - get learners on the same page
Thank you very much, Lee and Sachi. This model sums up what your videos have been doing for me and for those I care for. Up to know I know no faster way to build conceptual understanding e.g. on technologies new to me and others, You get us going with a useful idea what these tools can do for us.
For the road ahead I see the a great opportunity in enabling others to produce similar quality "educationals," in their own style and for their own subjects. How can we help you scale your exemplary work?
Plain English - speed of comments
Hi Lee and Sachi
thank you so much for your valuable and creative work which comes in very handy for us teachers of English as a foreign language, bringing all these new tools into the classroom. My students love your videos but do have a major problem ... with the speed of your spoken explanations.... is there a way for you to slow down a bit - believe me - you have a lot of followers over here in Europe in education, and our students' English is not as brilliant as it should be :-( . I am also involved in teacher training of media and web 2.0 etc and I have spread the word of you Commoncraft guys on many channels... so please consider our problem!
Keep the Videos Coming!
Lee and Sachi, Thank You for all that you do at Common Craft! We love your videos -they transform complicated topics into "it's understood".
Going forward, we hope to use more of your videos! I'd like to see one about Virtual Professionals... or business ethos ;)
Best,
Coretta Jackson, MBA
@iVirtualProfs
@businessethos
I show your videos to my
I show your videos to my Intro to Computers class before introducing topics such as Wikis and Blogs, etc. As you mention, the videos get all the students on the same page before we move into more in-depth knowledge. They are great and I recommend them to a lot of instructors to use in their classrooms, as well.
I see a real need to have a "Web 2.0 in Plain English" video. Would you ever consider making one like this? The individual topics are terrific, but there is considerable confusion about what Web 2.0 is... I show "The Machine is Using Us" video by Professor Michael Wesch but that really explains how we got to Web 2.0 technologies and the implications of the shift. A very simple, concrete explanation of the global concept of Web 2.0 would be greatly appreciated. Please consider this!
I'm always stuck @ K.
Your Plain English series has already helped me understand my wife (she's an insurance agent, and her understanding of most subjects seems to start at K and go from there), so I'm eternally grateful that there's some "experts" out there who understand this intuitively-obvious principle. You guys are awesome!
Mike at From The Inside