Arguments for a particular length of instructional videos miss the mark: engaging video can be any length, from less than a minute to more than an hour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you listen to the commonly accepted wisdom, every instructional video would be a TED Talk: polished production values and a strict 10-15-minute time limit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a previous post, I argued that common wisdom is wrong about video \u201cquality\u201d: you don\u2019t need to be a YouTube star to create great educational videos<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I would argue that common wisdom around video length is also wrong. You may have heard that instructional videos should be in a sweet spot of not too short and not too long, often 10-15 minutes long. This view is reminiscent of TED\u2019s 18-minute rule<\/a>, the length described by TED head Chris Anderson as \u201clong enough to be serious and short enough to hold people\u2019s attention.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n No matter the specific times suggested, they almost always fall between 5 and 20 minutes. While those times are fine, there is nothing magical about them. In fact, you\u2019ve probably watched and learned from videos that are 30 seconds long and videos that are an hour long. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Much of the advice for shorter videos comes from research in contexts other than a traditional 15-week course in higher ed. For example, one commonly cited finding<\/a>, which suggests students drop off after 6 minutes, comes from a study of 6.9 million video views in a MOOC. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You should also be wary of advice that derives from student preferences (not actual habits) or from habits that aren\u2019t germane to the classroom (e.g., YouTube or social media video watching habits). <\/p>\n\n\n\n The key reason there is no perfect length for instructional videos is that, just like with video \u201cquality,\u201d length isn\u2019t the most important factor<\/em>. Length very well may affect how many students engage with different parts of the video, but it isn\u2019t directly connected with learning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Every instructional video has a purpose \u2013 a reason you want students to engage with the video. This purpose should drive the video\u2019s length. For example, if your purpose is to illustrate a concept you\u2019ve had students read about with an example or model, the 3-5 minute range may be best. On other hand, if you need to dive deep into the historical context for a topic, you may be looking at 20-40 minutes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to purpose, what you say and how you say it is far more critical than length. As Neil A. Bradbury says in a review of studies on instructional videos<\/a>: <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe most consistent finding [\u2026] is that the greatest variability in student attention arises from differences between teachers and not from the teaching format itself. Certainly, even the most interesting material can be presented in a dull and dry fashion, and it is the job of the instructor to enhance their teaching skills to provide not only rich content but also a satisfying lecture experience for the students.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\nWhy There Is No Perfect Length for Instructional Videos <\/h2>\n\n\n\n