A conceptual framework for panning as a screen recording technique in software education: Implications for instructional design in educational videos

Abstract

Videos as instructional materials have become an important part of higher education. The ability of videos to be shared and used in social and educational settings demonstrates their increasingly significant contemporary impact. Identifying the video features that affect student engagement as a success indicator can therefore contribute to the effective use and design of educational videos. Panning is such a potential video recording and presentation feature/technique. The aim of this study is to reveal the ways panning is accomplished in videos and discuss implications for instructional design. Panning is to record a smaller section of a screen, relevant to the instructional activity, instead of recording the entire screen during video recording. It differs from regular video shots as it refers to the recording of the computer screen or any other display in that manner, whereas regular videos record everyday objects. It is a strategy used during the recording of educational videos developed for software education. It is a design consideration especially for creating educational materials to be displayed in mobile devices due to their small screens. To date, panning has not been comprehensively conceptualized as an educational technique for software education. In this study, the possible types of screen-recording in terms of panning are identified based on video review. Secondly, examples from one of the popular video-sharing sites — YouTube — are identified and presented using these panning types. Finally, a comparison is made between full-screen and panning videos. The implications of panning for instructional purposes are examined. A concise and useful guide is provided for instructional designers interested in creating more effective instructional videos.