Webinar or Video

Both of these tools have their benefits and I have used both in learning more about programming myself. One webinar course was great but it was actually more of a video. Everybody’s microphones were muted and your questions were directed to a secondary host. This kept the pace fast but limited your own input. It was more of a sit back and watch while the instructor is lecturing the material. One flaw was if your connection dropped out and you had to log back in. This situation put you behind the rest of the group which can obviously frustrate a student.

Videos on the other hand have the obvious benefit of pause and rewind. The quality is often better and you get rid of the risk of loosing connection. The one connection I do see lost is the importance of time. A webinar is an event you show up and dedicate time to where a video is something you create the time for. I myself have been a procrastinator and know the errors of not creating time in hopes that there will be time later. Therefore a webinar can be helpful in keeping your course on the students mind.

Webinars can be engaging. First prepare a slide show of questions and answers ahead of time. Then during the webinar you can show the question slide to all of the students and have them respond in the chat window. I find most online students will talk more in the chat. Plus it creates a one on one experience where the student can get immediate feedback. No waiting for a test grade or an email. Video on the other hand is useful for that lecture style tutorial. Students can follow along with a better sound and picture quality.

Ask yourself this question when creating content. Does this content need immediate feedback or plenty of review time? The answer will point you to the tool that best suites your needs.