Teach One Assignment

We rely on a method typically used in training of medical residents: "Learn one, do one, teach one."  Each student is expected to not only learn the concepts in the course, and do the assignments, but also teach a portion of the course. The best way to learn a topic is to teach it. This active participation in teaching helps students learn the concepts in the course in more depth. Students who teach a topic have a deeper understanding of the material.

Students select which topic they wish to teach. They can teach about any aspect within the topic. Typically students teach how to do an assignment. Students are expected to teach by preparing a brief video and posting it to the web and sharing the URL of the video with the class. Student's videos should be reviewed by the instructor prior to release to others and should be released to others prior the topic being discussed in class.

For your video, complete the assignment one week ahead of time, get approval from the instructor that it is done correctly, and then narrate and distribute it to the class. Narrating a video takes a long time, please set aside at least 4-6 hours.  To post your video you will simply, paste the YouTube link (where your video lives) into an email to the class. Then, your fellow classmates can view, rate, and comment on your presentation. Select videos will copy term to term, in order to build a repository of instructional videos that will benefit all students in this program. In general, posting the video establishes your professional credentials and is encouraged by the instructor and the program. Some students may have reservations. Students who do not wish for their video to be copied over in later terms should contact the instructor for an alternative. These alternatives include posting under an alias and/or posting and removing the video after class ends.

We also want you to learn how to prepare a video.  Managers and informaticians are often called upon to give voice to customers concerns. This is best done through use of multi-media. The experience you gain in preparing video presentations can carry over to many tasks. 

Video Preparation

In several assignments you are asked to prepare videos.  Following tools are needed for preparing an online project presentation:

1. A microphone is necessary to narrate your slides.  Please do not rely on built in microphones for portable computers.
2. You can capture screen shots and insert it into your slide presentation using Command and Print Screen keys.  MAC Users►
3. We prefer that you narrate the slides.  Narrate your slides using Microsoft Power Point or use other video making software.  Narrate►  Free Camstudio►  Camtasia►  SWF► IMovie►
4. After narration go through the slides and remove excess words.  Do not keep sentences, keep only minimal set of key words that guide the presentation.  We recommend a minimum font size of 36 points.
5. Convert the narrated slides to a video format that can be uploaded to the web. If MAC user, this is typically accomplished by saving to movie format and then upload the movie to You Tube. If you are using Microsoft Power Point, save to mpeg format and then upload.  Rendering narrated slides into a video takes time, typically about 5-15 minutes depending on the speed of your computer.
6. No talking heads or images of yourself should be included anywhere.
7. Upload your narrated slides. We prefer U-Tube but there are other options available.  Author Stream► U-Tube►
8. Put within the description of the file upload the following statement:  "This presentation was prepared as part of the HAP 709 course taught by Dr. Alemi at George Mason University  Department of Health Administration and Policy."  Add a sentence about yourself to the description, e.g. xxx is a student in xxx field graduating in xxx. Keep in mind that the work you are uploading will remain on the web for years to come and will help shape your career. 
9. Share your narrated slides publicly so all students in the class can view it.  Use blackboard to email the link to everyone in class. 

Effective Videos

Effective presentation includes:

1. Use appropriate content.  Make sure that the content is correct.  Have your instructor review the content before you post.
2. Have a consistent style (the same font, capitalization policy, color, and size through out the video).
3. Make one, and only one, point per slide. No lists of points in one slide.
4. Do not write sentences in slide, write a few words that could guide the viewer.  Use few words so you can keep font size of 36 points. 
5. Make sure all texts on slides are readable, even after compression to fit the video requirements.  A U-tube video reduces Power Point slides to 1/4 of their original size.  Phone views have additional reductions.  Again, keep the font size larger than 36 points.
6. Make sure the narration is clear and continuous.  Occasional hiccups are ok, keep them. They add color. 
7. Set compression levels high enough to be understood in a noisy room. 
8. Be brief.  Do not exceed 10 minutes. If you need more time, make multiple videos. 
9. Use images that help your presentation.  Again keep most of the screen empty.
10. Do not use transitions or animations.  If you want to use animation, instead repeatedly copy a slide and alter a portion of it.

Rubric for Evaluation of Your Presentation