how to make a video assignment

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Video Assignment Tips for Instructors and Students

We don’t need to point out to people that video-based online learning has exploded over the past year and a half. But as a video platform with a strong interest in and application for education, we do like to help people make the most of leading online learning techniques. Video assignments aren’t just for film and media studies students anymore; they’re expanding in use as part of the new ways instructors and students all can relate to one another both in standard classrooms and in an online learning paradigm.

This post will run down some basic concepts regarding the video assignment: what forms it can take, how to get the most out of the assignments, some ideas to try, and an introduction to Kaltura’s educational platform for those who are looking to step up to a high-quality online learning solution.

Intro to Video Assignments and their Increasing Use

Tips for instructors, tips for students, video assignments: 3 examples and ideas, the proper way to do a video assignment.

• Meet Kaltura virtual classroom platform

Video assignments can be thought of in different ways, but in this case, we’ll define a “video assignment” as “student projects that are fulfilled by creating informative video content.” As we pointed out in the introduction, this does not need to be making a narrative short film for Film & Video Production 101, it can also include highly personalized, even social-media-style video clips that address a problem, question, or topic that an instructor wants students to investigate. Video assignments can be research-intensive, collaborative, and highly engaging class activities that demonstrate a range of skills, knowledge, and communication strategy.

Obviously, with online learning’s recent (and often mandatory) expansion, the class infrastructure for creating and posting videos is also likely to be expanding for many educational organizations. Why not take advantage of it to get students’ creative juices flowing and find compelling ways to communicate relate, even over a physical distance?

Here are a few things that can be helpful to keep in mind when assigning video projects:

• Keep it concise! Unless you’re a film program approving capstone projects, it’s good to keep video projects limited to around 2-5 minutes. If it’s high quality, even a 5-minute video can still take 5-10 hours (or more) to produce.
• That said, give your students plenty of time to complete the project. This might be as much as a few weeks, depending on how labor-intensive the research, shooting, and/or production are likely to be.
• Make sure students send you regular project updates. As an instructor, sometimes the best help you can offer is keeping the students on track.

On the student side:

• Always take advantage of whatever resources your school can offer! Frequently institutions have access to high-quality software, if not hardware, that can improve the quality of your project.
• Planning is everything! While digital video has made it possible to shoot hours and hours of footage taking advantage of low-cost storage, you’ll still have to cut that down to a running time. Things may not always go exactly as planned, but preparation and efficiency will still always go a long way.
• Remember that high-quality audio is important. If social media videos have taught us anything, it’s that mediocre-to-bad quality picture may be forgiven, but if your video is impossible to listen to, forget it.

Here are a few suggestions for different ways students can respond or inform using video content:

Recorded interviews

The staple of mainstream news media and documentaries, an interview could be in-person or virtual; intercut between interviewer and subject as a conversation or laser-focused on the interviewee’s answers. They could be serious, silly, or even fictional. The interview format is familiar to most people and is a direct way to get answers to questions that concern you.

Screencast recording

Think of it as “webinar style”. Present ideas and information step by step in slides, and record the presentation and your additional narration and commentary as it plays out. You can clean up any missteps with an editing tool and even rerecord your voiceover. It beats fumbling with a slide presentation in real-time!

Video tour or demonstration

Students who visit a place of interest to their coursework can use video to share it with the rest of the class, narrating as they go along. Video recording also makes it possible to further edit and annotate facts to make the experience as engaging as possible. Or similarly, a student could film a clip of demonstrating a process, solving a problem, or otherwise “showing, not telling” something relevant to coursework.

Not every classroom is AFI film school, so we won’t say there’s one “right” way to make a video or go on about the correct division of labor between production, post-production, talent, and crew positions. There are numerous scenarios for assignments and different approaches to video creation, and different things will work for different types of classes. However! … there are also still a few basic guidelines that can be followed to good effect in any video project:

Understand the purpose of and intended outcome for the video

In other words, “know what you want to say.” Especially in a short format, keep your video on message and make sure it will fit in the time allotted. You can still create a “script” without turning it into an exercise in formal filmmaking, and that will help clarify the information you want the video to deliver. You can even create a checklist of topics or questions that the assignment is expecting you to address.

Determine your format

This might be decided at the instructor level, but if not, it’s worth some thought. As we suggested above, there are different types of video assignments and different ways they might be tackled.

Have a camcorder? DSLR? Access to a digital cinema camera? That’s one way to do it. Got a great phone or tablet camera? That could work too. Screen recording? If you’re doing a PowerPoint-style presentation, that’s not a bad way to go. Webcam talking head video? Thousands of YouTubers can’t be wrong. The thing is to figure out what will work best for your content, as well as be available to you and uncomplicated enough for you to manage within your deadlines. Depending on the resources available that could be anything from a “Hollywood style” high-production value narrative short to a documentary voiceover captured cleverly via smartphone, so long as it fulfills the criteria of your assignment. Make sure it’s clear what kind of deliverable is expected at the deadline (i.e., “mp4 video posted to our learning portal” or whatever applies).

Set a production timeline, and stick to it

This probably goes for every project, ever. If needed you can also create team documents, shot lists, and more, but create a realistic timeline and get moving, the sooner the better. As discussed below, build in a little space for yourself to make changes or correct mishaps.

Schedule regular team meetings (when applicable)

This also relates to your timeline, but in general, you want to make sure the entire team is engaged and on top of their tasks. While it’s a little less complicated if you only have 2 or 3 team members who are handling the shoot or recording together (and, as the headline suggests, a non-issue if you’re creating and executing the entire project yourself) but if you have teammates who are going to do the majority of their work away from the video shooting/recording like graphic artists, animators, dedicated video editors, or musical composers (note: you don’t have to hire Hans Zimmer, “composing” could be as simple as making a couple of keyboard tracks in GarageBand) then you want to check in and make sure everything is on track.

Reserve some time for finishing and polishing

You might or might not be ingesting your video into professional-grade editing software but remember that you may still want to tweak your content, add titles or effects or voiceover, and do other “postproduction” tasks. Don’t back yourself into a corner where you end up having to do everything the night before the assignment deadline: take a tip from the pros and allocate yourself some time after your initial shoot (for instance several hours over the course of a few days) to review, edit, and do finishing tasks (like rendering, transcoding, or uploading) for your video.

Meet Kaltura Virtual Classroom Platform

When you’re delving into video-based learning, we think the “best in class” option (sorry for the pun) is our Kaltura Virtual Classroom platform. It provides online learning solutions for the modern classroom, designed and tested for 21 st Century virtual learning. Our virtual classroom is built for engagement, and to emulate the ease of communication and info sharing of being together in the same room–for when being physically together may not be your best option.

For ease of use, our tools are browser-based and there’s no installation (on the user side) needed. Whether your focus is online learning, enhanced instruction for a hybrid classroom, virtual office hours, or collaborative learning in a study group there’s something to help you upgrade the experience. We offer top-tier interactive features including HD video playback, collaborative whiteboards, and shared content playlists for video, presentation, files, and more.

For instructors who favor the video assignment, cloud recording and editing tools are available to polish and repurpose your content for maximized engagement. For students, Kaltura also allows you to easily record your computer screen, webcam, and microphone.

Our virtual classroom is also easily integrated into a learning management system (LMS) where students can access content to catch up or review. Video-on-demand libraries of instructor-recorded videos or publicly shared student video responses are also made easier with intelligent search features.

Ready to set up your virtual classroom? Try Kaltura for free, today.

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Working with Video (Kaltura, Canvas, Zoom, and PowerPoint)

Creating a Video Submission Assignment

It’s easy to create an assignment, either using the Canvas Assignment tool or the Discussion tool, where students can submit a video to you directly or share it with the class. Examples of assignments using student video include class introductions, student individual and group presentations, “on-location” reporting such as visiting a particular type of location or event, interview assignments or role-plays with pairs of students, or demonstrating a procedure or activity.

Setting up an assignment that students submit to you (Canvas Assignment tool)

Using the Canvas Assignment tool, you set up the assignment as you would any other assignment just making sure to set the Submission Type to Text Entry . Even though Media Recording and File Upload seem like more obvious options, using Text Entry, allows students to use Kaltura to submit their video which will create a better experience for you when you are grading them. Using Kaltura, you can control the playback speed, see the video in full-screen, and, if you instruct students to edit their automatically generated captions , view the closed captions for the video.

Setting up an assignment where students share their video with the class

If you want other students to see the video as well and provide peer feedback, you can set up your assignment using either Canvas Discussions or Kaltura Media Gallery.  There are pros and cons to both methods.

The Canvas Discussions tool

• allows you and your students to easily refer to other videos and comments within the discussion,
• lets you  use SpeedGrader to be able to see all of a single students posts in one place
• can take a long time to load a full discussion, especially on a slow or spotty internet connection

The Kaltura Media Gallery tool

• allows you and your students to make comments at a specific point on any given video
• uses less bandwidth since you are loading a single video at a time
• does not provide a way to see all comments for a particular student in one place.

Using the Discussion tool

To use the Discussion tool, you can create the assignment just as you would for any other discussion. There is nothing different in the setup process as students can embed video in discussions by default. If you are wanting students to post a video in a group discussion , please see Video in Canvas group discussions . The integrated Kaltura tools are not available in group discussions but there is a work-around. If you do not have any students who require captions, and if you and your students are comfortable with their videos being stored on an Amazon Web Server where they cannot find and delete them, they can use the native Canvas Add/Embed video tool instead. Alternatively, you can use VoiceThread for video-based discussions in small groups.

Using Kaltura Media Gallery

If you have not already done so, the first step is to enable Kaltura Media Gallery in your course navigation .

To use Kaltura Media Gallery, you would create an assignment in the Assignment tool with the submission type being “no submission” and provide instructions for students to submit their video by sharing it with the course Kaltura Media Gallery. The instructions should include the specific naming convention you would like students to use for their video (i.e. their name, the assignment name, etc.) and anything that you would like them to add to the video description (i.e. anything that you would normally have them add in a discussion post).

Media Gallery Settings

Setting up an assignment where students submit their video to you only

Submitting a video assignment.

Make sure to provide students with instructions on submitting a video. You can’t assume that your students know how to do this already. Please feel free to share the links to the appropriate instructions below with your students.

• Embedding a video in a text editor box in Canvas
• Adding a Video to Kaltura Media Gallery

Creating a video for an assignment

• Personal video in discussions and assignments using Kaltura Express Capture
• Submitting a previously recorded video (useful for recording with a mobile device)
• Recording an individual presentation with Kaltura Personal Capture
• Recording an individual or group presentation with Zoom
• Recording an individual or group presentation with PowerPoint 365 or 2019
• Video in Canvas group discussions

Click Next in the red bar below to continue to the instructions for students.

A Canvas Semester Checklist Copyright © by Trustees of Indiana University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Going Digital | Creating a Video Assignment

• Designing the Assignment
• Digital Intensive SLOs

The Basics #

A video assignment is a great way to get your students thinking about your course content a little differently. A project like this can be designed as a standalone assignment or incorporated as part of a group project, in-class presentation, or research project.

1. What is a video assignment? 

A video assignment is any project that asks a student to film themselves or another subject. Video submissions can be the entirety of an assignment, or they can be a one part of a larger assignment. These projects can range from a simple, one-shot recording of an oral presentation to more complex projects requiring multiple camera shots edited together.

2. Why might you want to create a video assignment?

• An option for creating AI-resistant assignments
• Gives students options to demonstrate proficiency (a core tenet of Universal Design for Learning )
• Helps with classroom engagement and community-building
• Gives students experience with digital tools
• Builds oral communication skills
• Can be a step towards creating a Digital Intensive course

3. What kind of assignments can this replace or supplement? 

• Research Projects
• Journals 
• In-Class Presentations
• Discussion Boards
• Group Projects

Designing the Assignment #

Whether you are designing the assignment from the ground up or converting an existing assignment, the steps below can help you think through framing, building, and grading the project.

1. Decide on goals

Student outcomes.

The goals of an assignment can vary greatly, depending on what you hope your students will get out of the project. A few common outcome objectives for this type of assignment are:

• Demonstrate understanding of course content
• Synthesize concepts to create new information
• Practice communicating information clearly
• Practice research and citation
• Demonstrate technical proficiency with video production tools

All are valid goals, and being clear about how much priority you assign to each one will help in designing the assignment (and ultimately your grading criteria).

If you are creating this assignment to be a large final project or other large assignment, you may want to break it down into smaller parts with due dates for each (much like a research paper). Some possible steps are:

• Topic selection 
• Source selection 
• Script draft and/or shot list
• Assembly edit/rough cut
• Final video

Smaller projects, such as weekly unedited “confessional-style” reflections, may need fewer steps but the end product will likely be less polished.

Project Format

The goals and scale you determine will inform what format the project will take. You may want your students’ videos to be recorded versions of an oral presentation, or perhaps you want them to create a polished, edited video. There are different considerations for each, listed below from least to most complex.

Vlogs & Discussion Board Videos

One or two-minute videos are a great replacement for weekly reflection assignments or discussion board posts. There are even tools designed specifically for this, such as Flip (formerly Flipgrid).

• Usually unedited or minimally edited
• Can have the same expectations you would have for a written reflection or board post
• Great for building community, especially in online classes
• Tools like Flip can be integrated into any Canvas course

Recorded Presentation

Recorded presentations are usually single-take videos of what might otherwise be a standard in-class presentation.

• Usually unedited or minimally edited (may just clean up the start and end)
• May include PowerPoint or other visual aids
• May or may not include camera/webcam footage
• Can usually be accomplished with a standard laptop, Chromebook, or iPad

Fully-Produced Video

Fully-produced videos are edited together from many different camera shots or video clips. These are the most complex video projects and can be very time-intensive.

• Editing takes time! Unlike one-take recorded presentations, students will need to budget extra time after the recording phase to edit their videos
• A time limit may be helpful for these projects. Shorter videos require students to practice concision
• Quality equipment is key. While filming on a phone can produce great video, encourage students to try external microphones if they are capturing video outside or in an uncontrolled environment

2. Recommend resources

Some students may already have tools they prefer, while others will have no prior experience with these tools. Unless you have a specific reason, there’s no need to require use of a certain tool, but it’s a good idea to offer your students some options. Below are a few we suggest.

Recording Tools

No amount of post-production editing can beat recording high-quality audio and video from the start! Often a computer microphone or standard earbuds will do just fine, but encourage your students to make a test recording using the equipment they intend to use. This way they can identify whether their current equipment will be sufficient for the project before making a long recording that they have to throw out for poor quality.

If students need or want higher-quality equipment, they can use the following resources:

HCC Info Desk Equipment Checkout

The HCC offers cameras, microphones, tripods, and audio recorders for free checkout at the Info Desk on the second floor.

HCC Vocal Booth, Charnoff Production Studio, & Mini Studio

The HCC has spaces designed for audio recording and editing. The Vocal Booth and Mini Studio are both on the 1st floor and open 24 hours. The Vocal Booth includes a camera and microphone, while the Mini Studio requires students to bring their own equipment (though cameras, microphones, and tripods can be checked out from the Info Desk upstairs). The Charnoff Production studio includes three HD camera and a wrap-around green screen, and requires training through the DKC before use.

Video Production Software

Zoom is a great, simple way to film recorded presentations. Students can start a Zoom meeting, share screen to show their visual aids, and record the meeting to their computer.

Microsoft PowerPoint

After creating a slideshow in PowerPoint, students have the option to record themselves presenting it. They can record audio, webcam video, and PowerPoint slides in a simple one-stop solution.

Note that this feature is only available in the desktop (downloaded) version of PowerPoint. Video recording is not available with PowerPoint on the web. Students, faculty, and staff can download Office products for free as part of their UMW Microsoft 365 account .

See this  Microsoft PowerPoint recording guide  for more info.

YouTube Studio Editor

The YouTube Studio Editor allows users to make basic cuts to a presentation. It does  not  allow adding other video clips, graphics, or audio tracks. This is a great solution if you are asking students to share videos on YouTube and want them to make only basic edits, like trimming the start and end of their video.

A free browser-based tool made primarily for graphic design, but it is a surprisingly agile simple video editor. Canva includes a large library of photo, audio, and video elements that can be used to in video projects, but students must be careful to avoid premium assets that require purchase.

Adobe Creative Cloud

Adobe tools like Premiere and After Effects may be overwhelming for beginners, but have many features that can help a project shine. All Adobe Creative Cloud apps are available via AppsAnywere , UMW’s virtual computer lab.

Video Editing Hardware

With so many browser-based tools for graphic design, students can accomplish simple video projects with a basic laptop, Chromebook, or even a phone! But if students want or need more powerful hardware, there are several options available to them.

HCC Computer Workstations

The Hurley Convergence Center contains computers throughout the building that can be used for graphic design projects. The HCC is open 24/7 to students with an EagleOne swipe.

Digital Knowledge Center

The Digital Knowledge Center has several computers with the Adobe Creative Cloud suite, including two Surface Studios that can fold down to become large drawing tablets.

HCC Computer Loan

The HCC Info Desk loans PC and Mac laptops to students for up to six days.

3. Offer support

Make sure your students are aware that they have many options for support for digital assignments (they don’t have to always come to you!).

DKC Class Visits

Consider having the Digital Knowledge Center visit your class to introduce tools and best practices for your assignment. This can go a long way in helping your students get off on the right foot. Visits can be tailored to the needs of your class.

DKC Appointments

If students run into issues, they can book appointments with a Digital Knowledge Center consultant to help get them unstuck.

DKC Online Guides

The Digital Knowledge Center maintains online guides on many tools for digital projects, including “Getting Started” best practices for audio, video, graphic design, and website-building projects.

4. Consider Accessibility 

It is important to consider accessibility in any digital project. Since videos are a visual medium, providing the information in alternative formats is essential. Here are a few methods to accomplish this:

Provide a written outline of information

Additional written context can help people with visual impairments understand the content of a video. Consider asking students to share an outline or transcript as part of the project, either beforehand (so you can make sure they are on the right track) or alongside the project.

Closed Captions

Closed captions are the text version of an audio presentation that appears on the screen during a presentation. Closed captions communicate all audio that is essential context, including music, sounds, and other non-speech elements of the presentation. Closed Captions help hearing-impaired individuals engage with content and are useful for everyone as hearing the information and seeing it in the text at the same time fosters a deeper understanding of the material.

Tip:  YouTube provides automatically-generated closed captions for every video uploaded, but these auto-captions always need a bit of clean-up to be accurate.

5. Determine Grading Criteria

Many of the grading criteria you might use for a “traditional” project still hold true for a digital assignment. If you already have criteria you are comfortable with, great! If you are unsure how to go about grading a video project, below are some guiding questions that may help you build a rubric for an assignment.

Guiding Questions

• Does the student address the prompt and fulfill the assignment effectively?
• Does the student think creatively?
• Does the student clearly state their argument, or thesis?
• Do the visual elements facilitate communication of the thesis?
• Has the student cited sources? Are sources high-quality and support the thesis?
• Is the video high-quality (not grainy or distorted)? Perhaps more importantly, is audio clear and understandable?
• Does the student use graphics, sound clips, or video clips that are royalty free or open-license? Does the student credit the creator?
• Has the student included accurate closed captions or otherwise endeavored to make the project accessible?

6. Determine Submission Method

There is no “wrong” way to receive assignment submissions, so choose the one that works best for your learning objectives. Below are a few options.

Canvas Assignment

Canvas is a great submission option if you just want to receive the files directly. You can set the assignment submission type to “File Upload,” and students can upload their video file and supporting documentation all at once.

Keep in mind that Canvas has a 500mb upload limit for individual media files, as well as a 1gb total storage limit for each course. Very long videos may exceed the individual limit, and only graded assignments bypass your Canvas storage quota. If you accept video files as part of an ungraded assignment or discussion board, you will quickly exceed the size limits on your Canvas course.

If your project includes long videos, or you want your students to get experience with other sharing platforms, YouTube is a good option. However, since it is a public platform, students must be careful to set the privacy settings for their videos correctly. Unless you want your videos to be available to anyone on the internet, most videos should be set to “Unlisted.” Students can then share the video link with you in Canvas, or embed the YouTube video into a blog post or website.

See our  YouTube Basics Step-by-Step  guide for more info on creating a YouTube account, uploading a video, adjusting privacy settings, and sharing videos.

Flip (formerly Flipgrid)

Flip is a video discussion platform that can be set up as your classroom’s video repository. Flip is designed primarily to record and share short discussion-post style videos, but it can be used to store uploaded videos as well.

Flip is owned by Microsoft, so it can be accessed using your UMW email address and password. See the Flip Educator Toolkit for more tips on setting up and using the platform.

Alternatively, if you are interested in having your students think about their work as having life outside of your class, embedding their video in a blog post is a great option. This gives students the experience of creating an video as part of a larger piece, such as a news article, research project, or journal.

Keep in mind that web servers have file size limits, however. If students are using Domain of One’s Own, their default limit is 1gb. If you choose this method of submission, you may want to also have your students upload videos to YouTube so that they can embed the YouTube video rather than post the file directly on a web site.

Digital Intensive SLOs #

Each Digital Intensive proposal is considered by the DI committee on a case-by-case basis, so there is no “guaranteed” method to acquire the designation. But below are few examples that may help a podcasting assignment address the DI Student Learning Objectives.

These are just a few options – there are countless ways to accomplish the DI objectives. And remember that a single assignment does not need to address every SLO! A video assignment could address some, while other assignments could address others.

Students will successfully locate and critically evaluate information using the Internet, library databases, and/or other digital tools.

• Require students to share sources for the claims made in their videos
• Use the SIFT Method or other criteria to evaluate an online source’s credibility

Students will use digital tools to safely, ethically, and effectively produce and exchange information and ideas. 

• Converting a written assignment to a video assignment goes a long way to addressing this SLO
• Require a written summary, closed captions, and attribution for any pre-made assets used as part the project

Students will creatively adapt to emerging and evolving technology. 

• Instead of requiring a specific tool to create their video, ask students to evaluate several and select the one that best fits their needs
• Instead of submitting a file in Canvas, ask students to build a public web site using Domain of One’s Own or Sites@UMW to post their video

Resources #

Liberated learners – video production.

A great resource to share with your students! This walks through the video production process from start to finish.

How (and why) to use video assignments in alternative grading

Dkc presentation & recording guides.

The Digital Knowledge Center maintains getting-started guides, tool recommendations, and repositories of free media resources for various digital project types.

YouTube Basics Step-by-Step

If you are having students sign up for YouTube accounts (or want to sign up for one yourself), this guide walks through the process of creating an account and getting started with sharing videos.

Project Resources

Free umw resources.

A list of tools and services available to UMW students that can help with digital projects.

Free Media Resources

A repository of online sources for copyright and royalty-free stock photos, video, and audio that students can incorporate into their projects.

Cartland Berge’s 60 Second Pilot Project

A project designed to help students practice producing a short video from start to finish: planning, scripting, filming, editing, captioning, and sharing.

Dr. Jeff McClurken’s US History in Film Course

The final research project for this course is a 1,500-2,500 written analysis of a historical film, along with a 3-5 minute video analysis. Projects are published on the open web using Domain of One’s Own. Example Video

How can we help?

51 Creative Video Project Ideas for Students (With Templates)

• video project ideas

It’s always a challenge to keep students engaged during classes, especially virtual classes. One of the ways to do this are video projects. Video projects not only make for fun viewing, they also supplement learning. While creating videos with fellow students is a fun activity, it’s not always easy to come up with video project ideas.

So here we bring you some of our favorite creative video project ideas for students. We also share ready-to-use free video templates that you can plug into and start using. Stay tuned till the end and find a bonus section for students on how to make a good video project! Let’s dive in!

A. Video project ideas for elementary students B. Video project ideas for high school students C. Video project ideas for higher education students D. How to make a good video project

Bring your video project ideas to life in minutes

With 3000+ ready-to-use project video templates

A. Video project ideas for elementary students

Video projects for elementary students are mostly a way for the teachers to ensure comprehension and interest in the classroom. These can also be a good tool to make students think about different topics. Let’s check out some video project ideas for this age group:

1. Summarise a lesson

Get your students to summarise history or literature lessons on video. Have students research major figures and events in history and make videos around these concepts. This gives students the chance to learn digital storytelling as well as thoroughly research important historical figures! For example, check out this video sharing the history of television!

Use This Template

2. Share a talent video

Have students share a video performing a talent! They can share singing, dancing, painting, art, baking, playing an instrument or various such videos. This can be a fun activity where students learn more about their peers. For example, check out this music artist launch promotion video that can be used by students to promote their own music videos .

3. Create a book report video

Instead of traditional book reports, get students to create book reports or trailers for various literature projects. These can be a good way to get students curious about concepts you will be teaching them too! Check out this video book report.

4. Celebrate a holiday

Get students to create videos on their traditional or religious holidays. This is a great way to cultivate curiosity, awareness and tolerance for different ethnicities and cultures. Check out this Christmas facts video as an example.

Use This template

5. Create science experiment videos

Encourage students to create their own slides to explain science experiments and their findings. This way, students start thinking of STEM disciplines in a more analytical, hands on manner. Check out the lesson plan presentation below that can be used to document the objectives and findings of such an experiment.

B. Video project ideas for high school students

Video projects for high school students can be a little more advanced as they are in the process of growing their skills and learning more about different subjects.

1. Create a video portfolio

High school is when students start thinking about college applications. This is a great time to start making a portfolio. Teachers can give students the chance to create a portfolio video and share their unique skills and interests. For example, students interested in engineering and STEM can share their coding or science related know-how. Check out this copywriter portfolio as an example.

2. Create a news show

Students need to know current events, both for their school community and for the world around them. Having a school news show is a way to communicate with the school community of students, teachers, staff, and parents. This can be a group effort that helps students learn the value of teamwork and allocation. Check out this newsreel video you can customise to create your own weekly news show.

Use This Template 

3. Make a video tour of an important location

If students visit a place -- on a field trip, on vacation or any time -- they can share their learning experience with others by recording video of it and narrating as they go. (If they're at a museum or other such places, asking permission first is probably a good idea!) If they can't visit it, creating a video slideshow with InVideo is also an option. Get your students to share video projects on important locations as an assignment. These projects can be themed around festivals , cultural concepts and activities too. For example, check out their Halloween cross country tour slideshow.

4. Share practice records

Learning a language, cooking , music or sports require constant practise. To gauge the progress of each student, you can ask them to record themselves learning to play an instrument or speaking a new language. Students can make video projects of themselves learning or mastering a particular song, key phrases and more. For example, check out this violinist’s progress video.

5. Create an ad or a promotional video for school events 

Get students to make an advertisement or a pitch for a school event. This could include a political ad for class president election, a video resume , or an ad for the latest games or tournaments in the school. Students will need to think about the audience they are trying to reach and the length of the advertisement. For example, check out this match poster video.

6. Promote a good cause

Get students to create a video project promoting a cause they believe in. This helps them build their opinions and develop persuasive skills. Students can share this video with everyone, not just the classroom! For example, here’s a video you can customise to debunk myths around a way of life (going vegan in this case).

C. Video project ideas for higher education students

Post high school, it may seem that video projects aren’t that important. But this is the time when students are most focused on improving skills related to their career. Video projects can thus help students showcase their understanding and interest areas, especially to future employers. So let’s check out some video project ideas for these students.

1. Interview interesting people

The people around us and around the world are living history. Their experiences, information, and advice is a treasure trove waiting to be mined. Get your students to interview individuals from their interest areas or in interesting professions. They could be in-person interviews where both parties sit next to each other or they could be virtual interviews, where someone far away records responses to questions. These interviews can act as learning aids, as well as help students connect with people in their future careers. Check out this video interview on how to approach people for their life stories.

Make your own video highlighting interesting interviews by sharing quotes , testimonials, and more. Check out this testimonial video as an example you can use and customise.

2. Teach a concept via videos

Truly understanding something is the ability to teach it to others. Students can make a video where they are recording themselves completing a task on their computer screen or they can make a demonstration video like a coding class. Teachers and professors could then use these videos to help reinforce skills in your class or even flip some of your lessons. For example, check out this video tutorial on note taking apps.

3. Create a self-assessment video

Being able to assess oneself is an extremely important skill that students need to improve themselves. Self assessment empowers students to become better learners. It also allows them to take an active role in their assessment and push for a grade they feel is unfair - a direct correlation to performance reviews at the workplace! Personalise this testimonial video to create your own self assessment video.

4. Create a video presentation for a written assignment

Written assignments are a staple when it comes to college. But only professors and classmates can view these. Instead, creating a short, promotional video on a written assignment is a great way for students to share their work with more people and learn editing skills at the same time. Check out this digital marketing trends video you can use to create your own video presentations .

5. Create a video resume

For most students, the job hunt begins in college itself. A video resume helps highlight key skills as well as share the student’s personality and attitude with employers. Especially when applying to remote or distant positions, a video resume along with a normal resume provides brownie points. Check out this video resume you can use as a blueprint to create your own.

Leverage the power of video to land your dream job!

Create a PRO video resume in minutes with InVideo

6. Create a University promotion video

Universities and colleges need as much promotion as they can get. And who better than students to share their experiences and highlights. Get students to create unique videos with their best anecdotes or areas in the university. This is also a good way to get them to research interesting aspects of college life. Check out the University promotional video and make it your own.

D. BONUS: How To Make A Good Video Project

Your school video project can earn you good grades. It is also an opportunity to showcase your creativity. But how to create the perfect video without any error? Video creation may not be your forte, but you still wish to excel in school video projects, right? No worries!

If you have a school video assignment in hand but don’t know where to begin, read below to learn how to create a video project super easy and quick, without any error and fuss. Now, let’s divide your video project into 5 easy steps.

Step 1: Video topic or idea

If you are working on a school assignment, you probably have a video topic given by your teacher or professor. If you are looking for video topic ideas though, find them here .

Step 2: Plan your video assignment

Planning is super important for your videos. This is when you decide how you want to create your video. Consider whether you want to live record your video or create it online using an app or a tool. An online tool like InVideo offers you pre-created templates that might meet your requirements. This is also a super quick and easy way to make your video from scratch. The first thing you need to do is go to InVideo and login or sign up if you wish to use this tool. Next click on the “Pre Made Templates” Option and select the video dimension you want. Finally, type phrases related to your video in the search bar.

You will now see templates related to your search as you scroll below. Simply select the template you want to use and click on the “Use This Template” button to start editing!

If your video idea is to record an event , but you don’t have a DSLR, camcorder or GoPro, use your own smartphone camera for the school project.

Step 3: Prepare a video script

Now that you know how you will record your video, the next step is creating a script for your video. Here’s a step-by-step guide on script writing you can refer to. 

3 questions to ask yourself before you create your script:

- What is the objective of your video? - How long does your video need to be? - Who is the audience that will watch your video?

Step 4: Shoot your video + audio

Once your script is finalized, it’s time to shoot your video. You also need to make sure that you are recording audio to go with your video. Check out this list of equipment and how you can use it to record video and audio. 

Step 5: Edit your video

As mentioned earlier, one of the most effortless ways you can edit your video is using the free, online InVideo editor . This is simple, easy to use, and does not need you to make any downloads. Here’s how you can edit your video on InVideo.

Step 1: Log in to InVideo . Now click on the “Blank Canvas” option and select the dimension of your video. Next, click the “Make A Video” button.

Step 2: Now click on the “Upload Media” button at the left-hand corner of your screen and upload the video you shot.

Step 3: Double click your uploaded video to add it to the timeline. You will now see a pop-up that asks if you wish to trim your video. You can Trim your video or use the full version. Simply click on the “Done” button once you are finished with your trim.

Step 4: You can now use the controls on the right side of the screen to edit your video further.

Step 5: You can apply filters, create transitions between shots for a seamless flow, add subtitles, or insert a logo to give a personal touch to your school video. Just head to the left side of your screen and select the controls you wish to use.

Step 6: Once you are done with your edits, it’s time to download your video. For this click on the “Download & Share” button on the top right. Now click the “Export” video button.

Step 7: Your video will now start to render. You can download it once it’s complete. You can also directly share the video link or share it on social media using the button provided.

Wrapping up

So these were some video project ideas for students and how you can create your own videos on InVideo. If you’ve found value in this article, and are looking for more video ideas, you also want to check out this guide where we’ve put together 200+ video ideas for businesses and brands that you can take further inspiration from. 

For more quick tips and hacks on editing and creating videos, subscribe to our YouTube Channel . 

This post was written by Upasna and edited by Abhilash from Team InVideo

Let’s create superb videos

Making effective video assignments

As the need for video and other online learning resources becomes more important, empowering students to create their own rich media offers a great way to generate learning resources and place students at the centre of their own learning. I n higher education, the use of videos has traditionally been consumptive, with the focus being on teachers using video for additional content delivery or flipped learning. However, there is currently an interesting shift from ‘consumption’ to ‘production’ taking place in higher education , where students are now being asked to generate their own digital multimedia as a form of (mostly) summative assessment. 

This article was contributed by Sam Clarke, Sue Atkinson, and Danny Liu.

Video can be a great way to embrace student-generated content in your teaching. Getting students to create videos and other rich multimedia resources may open up new forms of assessment, innovative learning activities, and opportunities for peer learning and engagement.  Producing video content can be an effective way for students to learn and can lead to a number of benefits , including the developing graduate qualities , improved final exam performance , and building an ongoing resource for student learning. Some even see video assignments becoming the new ‘written report’ in years to come. Student-generated media projects can support students in exploring rich and authentic learning environments that may even take them be outside the lab or lecture hall. 

How are people using student-generated video in their teaching at Sydney?

After an excited burst of discussion on Yammer , we went around the University to ask staff how and why they use student-generated video in their units. Here’s what they said, and their tips for anyone wanting to explore this approach.

A/Prof Chris Roberts and Christie Van Diggele , Medicine and Health

Chris and Christie find student-produced video an excellent way for students to demonstrate attainment of complex learning outcomes, such as interdisciplinary effectiveness. They use it for the Health Collaboration Challenge , an annual University event which unites around 1700 students from dentistry, oral health, nursing, medicine, pharmacy, occupational therapy, speech pathology, physiotherapy, dietetics, diagnostic radiography and exercise physiology in a shared activity. Inter-professional student teams of 5-6 students are required to submit a 5-minute video on the management of a complex patient case as a part of their formal assessment. They are also required to peer mark two videos which provides them with insight into how other teams managed their patient case. Students are guided through what is required on their online unit of study site through the use of a pre-module which provides examples of past video submissions and how to peer assess. They also provide students with a video guide sheet ( download it here ), video marking rubric ( download it here ) and FAQ page.

The team-based creation and review of student-produced videos both demonstrates inter-professional learning outcomes and is in itself a team building task.

Teams meet up on the Health Collaboration Challenge day to work on their video together, often completing the final edits at home. Students are very independent in the task, usually only requiring guidance if they have an issue uploading their video (which in 2018 ended up being around 2 teams of the 282 submissions). The final videos display student competencies in teamwork and collaboration, but also in creativity and innovation.

Chris and Christie’s tips for academics wanting to try student-generated media:

• Prepare students well for the task.
• Having a meaningful assessment plan that is well communicated.
• Encourage good sound quality.
• Use the existing wisdom of the University community in making the most of Canvas

Prof Peter Thorn , Medical Sciences

Peter uses video assessments in his OLET1504 – Health Challenges: Diabetes. In his video assignment, Peter aims to generate authentic tasks that exploit the students’ knowledge and get them to put this knowledge to work in a novel way . “ As part of the on-line OLE environment I wanted to use media appropriately as an assessment tool. I use both podcasting and videography. My main aim is to add depth to the tasks so that students have to reformulate their knowledge as part of addressing distinct scenarios. ” These scenarios have included ‘Make a video that explains changes you have made to the workplace that specifically reduce the risk of getting type 2 diabetes’, and ‘Make a promotional video that is targeted towards potential cash donors that explains the background to the disease and how funding in biomedical science would be directed to help further understanding.’

they [students] came up with imaginative media content and delivery that has a solid grounding

The marking rubric ( download it here ) is more focused towards the narrative and the response rather than the content. Peter builds up to the video assessment with prior assignments. For example, he gets get students to first make a 1 minute podcast in response to an authentic task, so students start to become familiar with the process of producing multimedia content. He found that most students really rose to the challenge saying, “ they came up with imaginative media content and delivery that has a solid grounding in the knowledge they have gained in the unit. This is self-evident in their outputs. ” He mentioned that the technology does put some students off, but had some tips for those starting out:

• Narrative is really important in any media, as is progression of assessments.
• Generate questions for the video assessment that are authentic and lend themselves to being addressed in a narrative structure.
• Scaffold the technology so that students get progressively used to making multimedia.

A/Prof Patrice Ray , Geosciences

Patrice introduced a group exercise to 3rd year Tectonics students to design and build a website on a theme relevant to their unit, and then present a 15 minute talk on this. However, he soon changed this to a 5 minute video exercise after students reported that the talk was “very unpleasant”. Having done video assignments for over a decade, Patrice hasn’t looked back. “ My experience is that students are having a lot of fun putting these videos together. Early on, access to the right technology was an issue, but with the video recording capability of smartphones this is no longer the case. ”

He runs the video assignment exercise during the second half of the semester. He asks students to organize themselves into groups of 3 (no more to mitigate free riders), who then select a topic from a list he provides in week 6. From then until week 8, each group gathers and processes information, and designs the storyboard for their video. These are reviewed during a 20 minute meeting with Patrice in week 9, after which students produce the videos and present them to the class for peer assessment.

this is a great opportunity to discuss and correct the many misconceptions that may have gone unnoticed

“ I would say that this is a great opportunity to discuss and correct the many misconceptions that may have gone unnoticed. It is also clear that information, knowledge and learning are more deeply encoded, and I am reasonably convinced that this kind of exercise promotes deeper learning, in part because there is a strong element of social interaction around the process of creating a video . ”

Patrice’s tips for those wanting to explore student-generated videos?

• Keeping in touch with each group and providing guidance is critical, since time management is key to the success of this exercise.
• As it is a group assignment, let students assess their own contribution to this group exercise, and modulate the mark accordingly.

Dr Ilektra Spandagou , Education & Social Work

Ilektra coordinates the unit Disability Awareness and Inclusivity which has an individual student generated video as its major assessment piece. She has incorporated the best student videos into the unit content (with permission) and says that drawing on the expertise and interests of students to generate content that she couldn’t write herself was always an aim. She cites as an example a video created by a student on an Xbox Adaptive Controller for people with a disability. Some of the other videos students have produced have drawn on their personal experience of disability which also adds to the richness of experiences in the unit.

It was always an aim to draw on the expertise and interests of students to generate content that I can’t write myself.

In addition to presenting the 2.5 minute video on a topic around accessibility and inclusion, students have to be inclusive in their presentation and incorporate technical accessibility features such as captioning and descriptions of key visual elements. Ilektra supports the students through clear assignment instructions, help with topic selection through a discussion board, a rubric, plus short workshops and ‘cheat sheets’ on technical elements . She also provides a sample video she created that has a combination of good and poor elements which students ‘unpack’ to support their own planning.

Many students have relished the opportunity to research and critically assess an area of disability and inclusivity that interests them, to apply their understanding to a real world issue and act as advocates for a more inclusive culture and society. The quality of work produced has been very high and Ilektra’s tips for academics wanting to try student-generated media are:

• Remind students to ensure their presentation is inclusive and to consider accessibility by including closed captioning.
• Don’t be tempted to allow students to create long videos.
• Support students to aim for a standard that can be shown to others.
• Provide past students’ videos to unlock more ideas for students as well as modelling styles of video and the variety of ways to tackle the assessment.

With the right support, she finds that they are more than capable of it.

Prof Ross Sanders , Health Sciences

In the ‘Exercise and Sport Science’ unit for the Graduate Entry Masters in Exercise Physiology, students learn about neurological disorders such as those associated with cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, dementia, frailty, multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury and spinal injury. Students need to be able to produce exercise programs appropriate for the rehabilitation and maintenance of function, particularly for the activities of daily living. “ I have found that the production of instructional videos for use in the field is both effective in developing their skills in applying the knowledge as well as being motivating and enjoyable for the students. ”

Students work in groups of 3 to develop an exercise program for a client (real or fictitious) with particular functional deficits. They are required to develop and show activities for stimulating the neuromuscular system to promote learning, relearning, or maintenance of function in activities of daily living. In addition to the written report that describes the program and the activities, they produce an instructional video that can be used for disseminating their ideas to Exercise Physiologists and other health professionals for application in the field . Apart from students performing strongly against the marking rubric ( download it here ), Ross notes, “ it is apparent that students have advanced their thinking and reinforced their knowledge by having to apply it to an actual case. Their ability to think laterally to incubate novel ways to apply the knowledge to practice became increasingly apparent as they progressed from planning to implementation. ”

Ross’ tips for success?

• Emphasise the potential benefits that the video production may have for the students’ professional colleagues and their future clients, that is, it is not just an exercise to pass the unit but can have ongoing value and impact in the field.
• Have clear assessment rubrics which indicate the standards to be attained to be awarded marks equivalent to each grade (pass, credit, distinction, high distinction). Students are highly influenced by the content of the rubric and usually strive for the highest quality that they can achieve within their current levels of experience. Given that they know very little about media production techniques prior to the unit, and use very basic resources such as mobile phones, the results are impressive.
• Try to have a ‘hands on’ workshop on video production and editing conducted by an experienced expert such as a Faculty educational designer (in his case this was Sasha Cohen). This helped students to identify common problems, how they can be avoided or compensated and helped them identify good video techniques. Sasha has kindly shared the resources he provides students: tips for filming with smartphones  and a storyboarding template to help design videos.

Dr Hong Nguyen , Life and Environmental Sciences

Hong coordinates a first-year human biology unit for over 1,400 students each year. In order to kickstart her students’ development of critical communication skills, they make an individual video worth 15% of their final grade. Production of the video is scaffolded, with a comprehensive set of guidelines and assessment information provided ( Hong has shared these here ). Students develop draft video plans, receive peer feedback on both the draft plans and the draft video and then submit the final product for marking later in the semester. They are able to choose any topic related to the unit that interests them, such as ‘Could humans ever breathe underwater?’, ‘Why do I get hungry?’, and ‘What is a cytokine storm?’, and are asked to choose an audience (e.g. peers, primary school students, the general public, etc) in order to emphasise the breadth of science communication.

Hong mentioned that her students had a mixed response to the task. Many loved the opportunity to engage with a creative assessment and push themselves out of their comfort zones . Some of her students commented, “I loved the video recording unit and processing, it was a bit challenging at first but it was great as it allowed us to express our own individual creativity so that bio wasnt just a mundane memorising subject.” and “I really enjoyed the video and processing task as it allowed us to branch out and practice communication in ways that we might not be comfortable with.” However, some students struggled to see the relevance of this to their degree or major – although she thinks this might be related to assessment load in the unit.

Hong’s tips for those considering video assignments (and also for herself as she iterates on this design):

• Consider having these as group tasks to further foster student collaboration and peer learning (and, pragmatically, to reduce marking load).
• Balance the number and weighting of assessment tasks in the unit, considering videos can take longer to produce.
• Help students see the relevance of the video to their university studies and further careers.

Dr Claudia Keitel , Life and Environmental Sciences

Claudia’s experience with student-generated videos was highlighted previously in Teaching@Sydney . She asks students to create a video about the link between chemistry and agriculture; one that would make future agriculture students excited about chemistry. Students said the assignment was fun, and that the viewing session increased their sense of community . The understanding of the importance of chemistry to agriculture was also enhanced.

It increased the students’ sense of community and created a positive learning experience for them, which I think is especially important for first-year students.

Here are some of Claudia’s tips for academics starting out – there’s more information in the full article .

• Think carefully about balancing investment and reward – producing a video can be a time-consuming task and the mark should reflect this.
• Facilitate group formation.
• Give students clear instructions about the aim of the assignment.
• Stress the importance of audio quality.
• Just give it a go!

A/Prof Joseph Lizier , Engineering

We highlighted Joseph’s story previously in Teaching@Sydney . He asks students to make short explanatory videos based on pre-readings, leading to deeper engagement and a wider coverage across the cohort. This meant that students created resources at a level that other students could easily watch and understand, while deeply engaging with pre-readings themselves. It also allowed them to gain confidence for their final case study assessment.

I found the videos gave a better platform for showing off their skills – their critical thinking was more evident verbally than in writing, and this flowed into the class discussions with increased buy-in there.

Here are some of Joseph’s tips; check out the full article for more information.

• Be clear what you want students to get out of the assignment and link it to unit learning outcomes. How does it actually contribute to the unit?
• Allow students flexibility in how they make and deliver their multimedia product. For example, give students the choice to present voice-over-slides, or as a talking head, or animation, etc.
• A clear rubric (Joseph’s example can be downloaded here ) helps to speed up marking.

Dr Susan Coulson , Health Sciences

When Susan heard about student-generated media, she was convinced of the benefits of having groups of students work together on a video project with an output that could be both marked and shared with a broader audience. She designed an activity to give students a deeper understanding of physiotherapy in the management of multi-system problems within the community and to facilitate the communication of theoretical, assessment, treatment and clinical reasoning concepts in a manner that could be easily understood by the majority of the educated lay public. Student groups of 4-5 chose their topic based on one of the areas presented in lectures and tutorials, and were supported by industry mentors who had a special interest in the field they are examining. “ For example, they may visit the neonatal intensive care or burns unit of a major teaching hospital, or attend a factory which manufactures and fits prosthetic limbs for amputees. ” Their video was 4-5 minutes long and worth 30% of the final unit mark.

Susan notes that the assessment can polarise students. “ Most really enjoy the opportunity to work with their peers to create a video that they are really engaged with and enjoy the whole creative and theoretical process. However, some students dislike this type of project as it is novel and so different from other types of physiotherapy practical and written assessments. ” She runs a ‘digital media showcase’ which is held after all the other assessments are handed in – each group introduces their video which is then played in a lecture theatre. This “ is also a great way for students to refresh their understanding about the broad range of topic areas covered in this unit prior to their written exams “. Susan has even presented student videos at the NSW Branch of the Australian Physiotherapy Association, and written a paper about it.

Susan’s tips for those starting out:

• Have a brief meeting with all student groups over the first 2 weeks after the assessment is commenced to enable them to ask questions and receive feedback prior to filming.
• It can take a lot of time to develop, so be really clear about what you want to achieve by implementing this as part of your unit.

How can I get started with video assignments?

Video assignments are a great way to give students choice in how they express and construct their own knowledge. Using video assignments can also be seen as part of the higher education shift towards learner-centred assessment , one where individual learners are recognised and where we as teachers move further away from didactic, teacher-focused education practices.

If you are thinking about including video assignments into your units of study, it is important to consider:

• What do you want your students to learn?
• How to guide
• What am I trying to assess?

By starting with these questions and considerations in mind, you will better placed to develop meaningful, constructively aligned learning tasks that both challenge and support your students.

Limitations and managing risk

Using video assignments in your units does come with some risk and  there are some limitations when considering video’s utility . It is also important not to assume that students are ‘ digital natives ’ and they may need some help with this new form of assessment. Providing rubrics to guide and assess learners on both audio visual quality and managing inherent risks that can come with students going out into the world filming actual video footage (such as IP, privacy, publishing, and personal risk), can also be an effective risk mitigation strategy.

Tell me more!

• Check out the “ Creating Educational Media ” module in the University of Sydney’s  Modular Professional Learning Framework to learn more about using student-generated videos for assessment and other learning, as well as the chance to get hands-on with some media equipment and experiment with different techniques that your students could use. The module pages on Canvas also have some quite impressive examples of student-generated videos for inspiration.
• Feel free to post any questions you have onto the  Educational Innovation Yammer  group.

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McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning

Video assignments.

Video assignments comprise a wide range of possible assignment types from personal reflection videos in which students video-record themselves and upload those recordings to a shared space, such as Canvas, to assignments in which students are responsible for capturing, editing, narrating, and producing a polished product. Each type of assignment places more or less emphasis on either the production aspects of video or on the communicative, instructional aspects of video. Consider the following types of assignment that involve video production in some way.

Video documentary, video essay, or short film

Video is truly multi-media, providing oportunities to express oneself with visuals, sound, and text. The wide range of skills involved in capturing video, curating and editing video, possible adding narration, and the challenges of dealing with very large filesizes, mean that a video assignment can be quite daunting for students and for instructors. This wide range of tasks can also contribute to a valuable group assignment in with varied reponsibilities and roles.

News reporting or video interviews

Producing video-based news stories and capturing interviews, while quite different activities, both require students to carefully plan their work, including deciding on locations, topics of discussion, subjects, and pacing.

Video photo essay

A video photo essay takes advantage of the medium of video but may consist of recorded narration and music  over a series of still images.  This can be as impactful as actual video but may be more practical in some cases (consider historical imagery and the ‘ Ken Burns effect ’ or historical subject matter for which no video exists), or simply easier to construct, requiring less time for in-class training.

Personal reflection

Students can provide reflections on course readings, experiences related to coursework, or as a way to share their background knowledge of the course subject matter.

Instructional video

Video can of course by use to provide asynchronous instruction to students by capturing lectures or capturing and narrating screen/whiteboard recordings. These recordings can form the basis of an assignment in Canvas in which students submit their answers or other feedback. There is also, however the possibility of tasking students, or groups of students, with the creation of instructional video. Students could for example create recordings of themselves working through problems and demonstrating the process of arriving at their answers, thereby possibly helping to pinpoint areas of confusion, and perhaps leading to a repository of helpful videos for future students in the course.

Performance capture

The term performance may bring to mind a theater or music hall, but in terms of assignments, can also include any learning outcomes that are performative, such as public speaking, role playing, or foreign language oral practice.

Storytelling vs. Instruction

Some types of assignments, such as short documentary films, are creative, story-telling assignments that may involve not only learning to use the software but also in developing the skills of effectively conveying a story. Other assignments may use video more simply to capture students thoughts or performace. For these latter assignments, the video capture tools built into Canvas, Kaltura, and Panopto will suffice.

Assignment considerations

• Keep it short! Video editing can be a very time-consuming process. A two or three minute video can convey a lot of information and, when done well, can be a challenging assignment. Limiting the scope of a video project also introduces en element of information curation into the assignment process.
• Have students submit a storyboard as the first step of the assignment. A storyboard is simply an outline of the video with possible shots, scenes, and basic dialogue.
• A video assignment may be a new experience for many students. Consider outlining your expectations in a grading rubric to provide a scaffold.
• Video assignments can present more logistical problems than other types of activities, including choosing the cameras, the software, and potential very large files. If possible, work with the staff of McGraw’s Digital Learning Lab (DLL) to identify equipment and software students will use to complete the assignment. The DLL also offers ample storage space for video files.
• Video editing software such as Adobe Premiere, DaVinci Resolve, and even iMovie, offer many options but may require training. For simpler assignments, software such as Keynote, Powerpoint, Zoom, and VoiceThread may be easier to learn and can be used to generate videos that combine image and voiceover narration.
• Simple videos, such as video reading responses or student interviews, that do not involve transitions, titles, and music can be recorded and uploaded directly within the Canvas learning management system.

Student preparation

Learning to edit video not only necessitates learning how to use video editing software, which can be quite complex, but also involves developing storytelling skills and how good stories are conveyed via scenes, shots, transitions, titles, dialogue, and characters. The results of all this work can be rewarding, but will require significant time in and out of class. A video assignment should, ideally, be a culmination of a series of assignments that involve script-writing drafts, revisions, hands-on practice in the use of the software, peer-review and discussion.

Possible tools

• Adobe Premiere
• DaVinci Resolve
• Keynote, Powerpoint
• VoiceThread

Rubrics and resources

• Sample Video Editing Assignment , University of Portland
• Video Essays and Virtual Animals: An Approach to Teaching Multimodal Composition and Digital Literacy , Christina M. Colvin, Georgia Institute of Technology, in the Journal of Interactive Technology & Pedagogy
• Digital Storytelling Rubric and Digital Video Project Rubric , Video class assignment tips for instructors and students . Denver University EdTech Knowledge Base
• Single Point Rubrics, Jennifer Gonzalez, Cult of Pedagogy Blog
• How To Write A Documentary Script , Helen Kantilaftis, New York Film Academy
• Pre-production . Student Multimedia Services, Oregon State University
• Six styles of classroom video projects , Free Tech for Teachers, freetech4teachers.com

Example podcasting assignments

Ready to get started?

• Education , Inspiration

15 creative video project ideas for students (and their teachers)

Fall is here. The leaves are starting to change color and teachers everywhere are asking the same question: How do I come up with video project ideas for my students?

Video has been a staple learning tool for decades. But having students create, design, and edit video projects themselves is becoming a much more common classroom activity. Video projects are a great way to help students of all ages  actively engage with subject matter  and learn from one another.

Online apps like  Biteable  make it easy for students to turn video ideas for school into a reality. Templates and easy-to-use editing tools keep the process simple and offer plenty of inspiration for student video projects.

To help teachers and students alike leverage video as an  educational tool , we’ve gathered our favorite creative video project ideas for students. Each idea comes with a ready-to-edit video template so you and your students can get started right away.

Create videos that drive action

Activate your audience with impactful, on-brand videos. Create them simply and collaboratively with Biteable.

Elementary student video project ideas

It can be tricky to keep young students interested and engaged all day long. Creating videos gives elementary students a fun, creative way to learn about anything. And student-created videos are an amazing classroom learning supplement. If a video is produced by their peers, interest will skyrocket.

1. Create a book trailer

Instead of a traditional book report, have students design a movie-style trailer that drums up excitement about a novel or a non-fiction book. Creating a book trailer gives students the opportunity to think creatively, share a story with their classmates, and reinforce their learning in a new way.

2. Give a video tour

To supplement social studies curriculum, students can create a video showing off a significant location or their favorite part of the school. If you have a field trip planned, ask students to share their experience by recording videos throughout the day and adding voice over narration.

A video tour of the school is also a great way to share the campus with new students and visitors. As a way to pass the torch before they leave for middle school, how about asking your fifth graders to collaborate on an orientation video for incoming kindergarteners?

3. Celebrate the holidays

There’s always something to celebrate, no matter what time of year it is. Have students film letters to Santa, make video Valentines for parents or grandparents, or make short educational videos about lesser known holidays. Students can even create simple, digital thank-you notes for classroom visitors or parent volunteers.

4. Recreate a moment in history

Learning about historical people and events? Have your students research and recreate major moments in history, like the story of Rosa Parks or the Oregon Trail.

Videos help students visualize and remember these important moments. It also gives students the opportunity to experiment with digital storytelling. And students will be challenged to bring each scene to life accurately.

5. Try stop-motion video

Video learning isn’t limited to literary or historical topics. Encourage students to use stop-motion or create their own slides to explain science experiments or other STEM projects. With the right footage, like Biteable’s extensive collection of clay animation footage, students won’t even need to build stop motion models. They can just focus on the presentation and storytelling in their video.

Video project ideas for middle and high school students

Video projects for high schoolers can be a little more advanced, as students should be practicing editing and narrative skills in addition to learning about new topics.

6. Create a news channel

To supplement learning in a current events class, have your students film a news broadcast covering both local and international events.

Ask students to take on certain roles in the newsroom: anchor, sports reporter, weather reporter, or entertainment correspondent. Doing a news segment helps everyone get involved and promotes teamwork.

7. Start a portfolio

Many high school students are thinking about college applications. Give them the chance to  jumpstart their applications with a portfolio video project  and showcase what makes them unique.

Art students can show off their best work and design skills. Students applying to traditional schools can answer an application question or create a video showcasing their community service and extracurriculars.

8. Promote a good cause

Rather than writing a traditional essay or report, have students create a video advocating for a cause that’s important to them. This helps students build their identity and develop persuasive skills. And students can share their  promotional video  with everyone, not just their teacher and classmates.

9. Questions for your future self

Think ahead with a video full of inspiring questions. This project is great for incoming freshmen. At the beginning of the year, have students create videos with questions for their future self or with goals for their life and career. At graduation, send the videos back to them. It’s a fun, positive way to celebrate their success throughout high school.

Higher ed video project ideas

Higher education might not seem like the place for student-made videos. But in the real world, businesses use video for all sorts of things. Video projects build plenty of resume-worthy skills that college students can take with them to the workforce.

10. Create a university promotion video

It’s easy to forget that colleges and universities are businesses, too. And they need help with promotion. A solid college or university promotion video could open opportunities for internships or college employment. Promoting something that they’re already familiar with is a great way for students to build video persuasion skills.

11. Record and edit interviews

Being able to conduct a good interview and edit it in a way that’s appropriate for the purpose of the interview is a valuable skill in multiple industries. And interviewing experts in the field is appropriate for just about any class.

12. Make a video self-assessment

Grades are important. But being able to self-assess is also an incredibly valuable way for students to incrementally improve at any skill.

Making video self-assessments gives students a more active role in the grading process and offers them a creative way to highlight the work they’ve put into a course. It also gives them a chance to make an argument for the grade they feel they deserve — a skill that easily correlates to performance reviews in their future workplace.

13. Film a job interview guide

For most people, the interview is the most nerve-wracking part of getting a job. Practicing interview questions is a great way to prepare. But most students don’t know how to prepare for a job interview.

Creating a job interview  how-to guide  is a perfect way for students to learn how to prepare for a job interview and help other students prepare at the same time.

14. Create a video presentation based on a written assignment

Written assignments are the backbone of a university education (in most disciplines, at least). However, the audience for most written assignments is limited to the professor and assistants. Creating presentation videos for their assignments gives students the opportunity to share their hard work with their fellow students, while also learning valuable video editing skills.

15. Build a video resume

For most students, the job search starts even before graduation. A video resume helps students highlight the skills they acquired and the experience they gained during college. And, given the global workforce, a  video resume is a great supplement to a paper resume, especially when applying for remote or distant positions where an in-person interview may not be an option.

Take your video project from idea to reality with Biteable

Ready to get started  making an education video project ?

Biteable has a huge  library of video templates that help students get going fast rather than struggling to start from a blank screen. Drag-and-drop editing and easy to use tools let students focus on what’s important: the project assignment and delivering a thoughtful message.

Make stunning videos with ease.

Take the struggle out of team communication.

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Brightspace Support

How do I create a video assignment?

You will need to go to a module to create a video assignment. Go to Existing Activities at the top, then click Video Assignments.

If you have already created any video assignments, they will now show up. To create a video assignment, click the blue person icon at the bottom.

Here, you will fill in all of the required fields, such as your assignment name, to create your video assignment.

If desired, you can add dates and restrictions for this video assignment.

Kaltura – Creating a Video Assignment in Canvas (instructor view)

• May 28, 2019
• Alex Martinez
• Kaltura (Video Management)

Overview Video 

• Instructor creates a video assignment in Canvas.
• Student use the Kaltura Capture software to record and upload their video.
• Student attaches their video to your Canvas assignment.
• Instructor grades the video using the Canvas Speed Grader tool in Canvas.

Create a video assignment in Canvas

• In your Canvas course, click the Assignments link in your course menu or via a course module section.

• The Create new assignment page is displayed. In the Assignment Name text box, type the name of your assignment.

• In the Points text box, type the highest grade students can receive.
• In the Assignment Group drop-down list, select the group for the assignment (optional).
• In the Submission Type drop-down list, select Online.
• For the Online submission type, select Text Entry in the online entry options. Text Entry uses the Rich Content Editor, which has Kaltura upload media and embed options.
• Set the assignment due date.
• Your video assignment will now be displayed in the Assignment Canvas page for students to access.
• To add a rubric , click Add Rubric if needed.

Grading your student videos

After a student has submitted their video assignment, instructors can use the Canvas  Speedgrader tool to review each student’s video and any comments they added. The SpeedGrader tool allows instructors to quickly review the video, grade it and any comments for the students.

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Instructors can create a Media Recording assignment, which requires the student to submit an audio or video file.

Students can choose to submit a media file they made previously or to create a media file on the spot using their computer's webcam and microphone.

For student instructions, see: How do students submit a Canvas Audio / Video Assignment?

Go to Assignments

Click Add (+) Assignment

Enter the Assignment name and description

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Under Submission Type, select "Online" and "Media Recordings"

Under Assign, set the Due date/time, Available date/time and Until date/time

Click Save & Publish (or Save)

Review student submissions in SpeedGrader

In the SpeedGrader document window, the media recording will appear. Annotation tools are not available, but instructors can add assignment comments and grades in the sidebar.

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Ten Engaging Video Assignments to Get Your Students Talking

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In the classroom, video means instant engagement, and making video is an increasingly important skill for youngsters to develop. We’ve put together ten exciting assignment ideas that will help elementary and middle school teachers get their students making great video! Parents, feel free to steal these ideas for rainy weekends, too.

Make Video Really Easy For All Students

Not all students will be able to access their own camera equipment. This could be due to their families’ budgets, their age, parental permissions, or some may be a little too shy to be on camera.

Remove obstacles by creating groups to work on each project, and consider setting up a couple different “studios” in the classroom. Then, come up with fun and quiet assignments that groups not actively filming can tackle, like script writing or prop-making, while others get their turn in front of the camera.

An in-class studio could be as simple as a backdrop with a tripod, or more complex depending on your school’s resources and the space you have to work with. If you are able to setup a couple different studios, more than one group could be creating videos at the same time, and, no one will be left out if they can’t get the right equipment.

Basic video equipment is really inexpensive in this day and age, especially for this type of kid-friendly production. A low-cost video camcorder from Amazon would likely suffice, and simple tripods are usually under $50. If you aren’t in a position to purchase equipment, you can always use a smartphone or tablet with a mini-tripod or similar stand, or a laptop with a built-in camera.

Editing the final video together might not be required for all of these project ideas, but it makes sense to check on the availability of video editing programs on school computers to see if it might be possible. iMovie or Windows Movie Maker are both free and easy to use. That way, any particularly inspired students can take their project to the next level if they’d like.

Video Assignments for Elementary School Students

1. task: make a short video reviewing your favorite book..

Objective: Students should record themselves giving a synopsis of the book and sharing what they enjoy about it. Using age-appropriate props, younger children can shoot a scene from the book; older children can direct a scene featuring their friends.

In addition to putting thoughts together coherently, and learning how to write for film (for older students), this task will enable children to be comfortable in front of and behind the camera, and encourage collaborative group work.

2. Task: Make a commercial.

Objective: Take an everyday object – an apple, pen, table, lunchbox – and ask students to make a commercial trying to sell it. They should put together a script, create a jingle, and design a brand logo as well as filming the advert.

Depending on the age of your students, they could work together. Ask each member of the group to take responsibility for a different element of the video. This is an effective task at showing students the power of persuasive writing, and how to work effectively in a team, as well as the objective behind advertising.

3. Task: Create a video tour of the school for new students.

Objective: Pupils can share their school experience with new students by recording and narrating it. They should interview teachers and other students, as well as showing their classmates using the school’s facilities (outdoor play area, pool, computer room). In addition to learning filming and editing skills, this task enables students to hone interviewing and communication skills.

4. Task: Exchange video messages with other schools.

Objective: Students from a partnering elementary school exchange short videos with your class that explain what life is like at their school, or another agreed-upon topic. The idea would be to generate interest in another culture, or to introduce students from a far-flung part of the USA. Not only would this type of exchange expand their horizons, but it would help develop their story-telling abilities, too.

5. Task: Explain how to make your favorite food.

Objective: Have students make a short video about their favorite food, or a special family recipe. Use creativity for those who aren’t able to do any filming at home. For instance, have them bring in some of their favorite food to share, or use animated pictures instead of actual footage.

As an alternative, assign students to different meal groups, like breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Then, have them work on the assignment in teams. This assignment will help students get to know and appreciate other food cultures, while also having a really fun time.

Video Assignments for Middle School Students

6. task: create vocabulary vines..

Objective: Show a word on paper (perhaps a student could be filmed writing it), then record a visual representation of the term. Each short video should be shared with the whole class so students can easily access them. This is also a great exercise for foreign language classes.

Although Vine may no longer exist as a platform, short videos are still a great way to promote learning.

7. Task: Make a two-minute video assignment about your hobby.

Objective: The student will learn to operate a video camera (or the video function on their smartphone or tablet), grab copyright free clips from the web, and edit footage.

Part of the challenge will be to adhere to the two-minute time limit. Older students can be taught how to use industry-standard editing software. Whatever level they are at, students will respond positively to being given free rein to get creative and produce original content about a topic that interests them.

8. Task: Create a video dialogue with a famous historical character.

Objective: Using the split screen effect, the student should record themselves in conversation with someone the class has been studying in history. They will enjoy dressing up and getting into character for this task!

This video assignment challenges the student to demonstrate a deep understanding of the psyche and motivations of an historical personage. Note: this assignment also works well as a conversation between the student and a character from the book the class are studying.

9. Task: Film your science lab project.

Objective: Film a project from start to end, hypothesis to conclusion. Students should show footage of the experiment being set up, carried out, and concluded. They should add a voiceover explaining what’s happening and why in each shot.

This assignment is two-fold. In addition to demonstrating their understanding of the relevant scientific principles, students will hone their filming and editing skills.

10. Task: Give your own TED Talk.

Objective: Show students an age-appropriate TED Talk that’s relevant to a topic they’re studying in your class. They should use it as a basis to put together their own presentation on that subject area. Encourage them to use visual aids and to adapt an engaging mode of presenting, just like the TED speakers. A cameo from friends, family members, or even pets makes for a great video!

For demonstrating to students that a ‘talk’ is more than just talking, we recommend showing them the following TED videos: The Shared Experience of Absurdity, The New Bionics that Let Us Run, Climb and Dance, and Einstein the Parrot.

Secure Sharing

For sharing the video, it’s important to be sensitive to the privacy of the children participating. Consider sharing the video with a password or with login protection to make sure only the participants, or their parents, can view it.

Make sure you can track viewers at a very granular level. For instance, video engagement metrics enable you to check that only approved viewers are accessing your content.

If you need a website for sharing your students’ videos, we even have that covered. Each SproutVideo account comes with a customizable video website that you can configure to your specifications.

With SproutVideo, you’ll get the best live and on-demand video hosting platform for business. Start your free 30-day trial today and get unlimited access to all our features.

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Creating a canvas assignment for your video quiz.

You can create a Canvas assignment for a video quiz that you created through My Media . You will need to do this if you would like it to be added to the gradebook.

Create a new assignment in your canvas course

Add a warning in the description for your students to complete the video quiz in one sitting

If they need to come back to the quiz later, they should refresh the page and start from the beginning.

Now add the amount of points the quiz is worth

Under Submission Type click external tool

Click Find and scroll down and select Kaltura Video Quiz

Locate the appropriate video quiz from the list and click Embed

Click Select when you are brought back to the Configure External Tool window

Add a due date and availability information as necessary

Publish the assignment

Use My Day with To Do in new Outlook

In new Outlook, My Day and Calendar and To Do panes display your upcoming calendar events and tasks anywhere in Outlook, including Mail, Calendar, and People. Similar to the To-Do Bar in classic Outlook, the My Day pane offers different options to customize the view, along with quick access to add a New event and Add a task , wherever you are.

Show calendar events and tasks with My Day in Outlook 

Note:  My Day is cleared at midnight every night. Tasks that appear in My Day are stored in other tasks lists, so they aren't deleted when My Day is cleared.

Open My Day

View upcoming calendar events in the My Day pane

To create a new event, select New event .

To change the day you're viewing, select the date at the top of the panel.

Change view and display more calendars in Calendar tab

View tasks with To Do in the My Day pane

Select    Add a task to create a new task. Enter the task name, press Enter or Return, or select Add .

To mark a task as important, select Mark as important   .

Tip:  To create a calendar event for a task, open your Outlook calendar and drag the task from the To Do pane onto your calendar. When you've got Mail open, you can also drag an email into the To Do pane to create a new task.

Show calendar events and tasks with My Day in Outlook for the web and Outlook.com

Create tasks with To Do in Outlook ​​​​​​​

Manage tasks with To Do in Outlook

Drag a task to your calendar with To Do in Outlook

Drag a message to create a task with To Do in Outlook

Create and manage task lists with To Do in Outlook

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Triston Casas Set to Begin Rehab Assignment in Worcester 

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Ahead of MLB's Trade Deadline on July 30, clubs around baseball are looking to make a splash as the sport enters the final third of the regular season. In their own way, the Worcester Red Sox are among the teams to add talent. Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas

Ahead of MLB's Trade Deadline on July 30, clubs around baseball are looking to make a splash as the sport enters the final third of the regular season.

In their own way, the Worcester Red Sox are among the teams to add talent.

Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas is set to begin a rehab assignment with Worcester on Tuesday as the club opens a six-game homestand with the Buffalo Bisons at Polar Park.

Casas was placed on the 10-Day Injured List on April 21 after injuring his midsection on a swing the previous night. Six days later, the 24-year-old was transferred to the 60-Day IL due to the severity of the injury.

The prognosis was a tear in the cartilage between his rib cage and sternum––a common injury for an athlete playing football or hockey, but not baseball. Typically, athletes subjected to frequent physical contact are more likely to sustain this type of injury. In Casas’ case, his massive 6’5”, 244-pound frame and quick, violent swing made his circumstance unique.

“(The doctor) pretty much chalked it up to me being so big, rotating so fast, so many times that I created a car crash within my body,” Casas told reporters in late April. “It was a matter of time before this happened. He said it was something similar to like a pitcher needing Tommy John, just an inevitable thing that was going to happen sooner or later.”

Recently, Casas’ recovery has ramped up with Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow announcing last week that the former first rounder had begun taking full batting practice. Now, his return to Alex Cora’s lineup appears imminent––but first, he’ll be penciled into Chad Tracy’s.

It is unclear how long Casas’ rehab assignment with Worcester will be, but his recent progress has been encouraging.

Before sustaining his injury on April 20, the Florida native was batting .244/.344/.513 with six home runs in 22 games for Boston. His performance follows a breakout 2023 campaign when he slashed .263/.367/.490 with 24 home runs, 65 RBIs, and 70 walks––good enough to finish third in American League Rookie of the Year voting.

Registering a team-leading .857 OPS last season, Casas became the first Red Sox rookie to top the category since Fred Lynn in 1975. He also joined Ted Williams as the only Red Sox to belt at least 25 home runs and draw 75 or more walks in their first 140 career games. Casas is the first big leaguer to do so since Juan Soto in 2018-19.

Prior to making his Major League debut with the Red Sox on September 4, 2022, Casas appeared in 81 games for Worcester, posting a .269/.382/.482 line with 12 home runs, 45 RBIs, and 23 doubles. When he makes his return to Polar Park, he is sure to bring plenty of fanfare to an already packed week in the Canal District.

For more information on tickets, please visit https://www.milb.com/worcester/tickets .

What has Kamala Harris accomplished as vice president? Here's a quick look.

Vice President Kamala Harris and her meteoric rise as the successor to President Joe Biden, 81, as the Democratic presidential candidate in the Nov. 5 election is the most significant seismic shift in presidential politics in recent history.

As she gears up to secure the Democratic presidential nomination in Chicago this August, we examine some of Harris’ most significant accomplishments and policy initiatives.

More: Biden drops out of 2024 presidential race: What to know as America looks to election

Immigration

In response to immigration concerns, Harris’ call to action was the public-private partnership Central America Forward (CAF). The idea behind CAF is to support the creation of local jobs and other measures in order to slow the flow of mass migration.

CAF has generated more than $5.2 billion since its launch in 2021, and its partners include more than 50 companies and organizations that have committed to supporting economic growth in the Central America region. The entities represent the financial services, textiles, apparel, agriculture, technology, telecommunications, nonprofit sectors, and others, according to the White House.

Voting rights

Harris was at the forefront of the administration’s pursuit to enshrine voting rights protection throughout the U.S. according to White House transcripts . She pushed for Congress to pass the John R Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act , which would’ve extended the protections of the 1965 Voting Rights Act and required federal approval for some local election law changes.

In 2021, the bill did not receive the 60 votes needed to overcome a Republican filibuster, preventing the start of debate on the Senate floor where Harris would have cast the deciding vote in the evenly split chamber.

Harris visited a Planned Parenthood clinic on March 14, a historic first for any president or vice president while in office, according to previous reporting by USA TODAY.

Walking through the clinic in Minnesota, the vice president spoke with staff members and health care providers as part of her nationwide “Fight for Reproductive Freedoms” tour earlier this year.

Gun violence

In September 2023, Biden established the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention to reduce gun violence, overseen by Vice President Harris, as announced by the White House.

The Office of Gun Violence Prevention builds upon actions taken by the Biden-Harris administration to end gun violence, which include the signing of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.

Heralded by the White House as the most impactful gun violence prevention measure in almost three decades, the now law bars individuals under the age of 21 from buying firearms, grants the Justice Department additional powers to prosecute gun traffickers, provides mental health services in schools to assist youth affected by gun violence trauma and grief and funds community-based violence intervention programs.

Maternal health

In her previous role as U.S. Senator for California, Harris introduced the Maternal CARE Act and the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act , which would direct multi-agency efforts to improve maternal health, particularly among racial and ethnic minority groups, veterans, and other vulnerable populations as well as maternal health issues related to COVID-19.

The vice president’s prior work on maternal and infant health care was a key component of the Build Back Better Act , passed in 2022. The legislation expands access to maternal care and makes new investments to drive down mortality and morbidity rates.  

Broadband expansion

In 2023, Harris and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo traveled to Kenosha, Wisconsin to celebrate the announcement of new electronics equipment production made possible by the Biden-Harris Administration’s “ Investing in America ” agenda and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law requires the use of American-made materials and products for federally funded infrastructure projects, with the goal of bringing hundreds of new jobs to the U.S. The law also notably includes a historic $65 billion investment to expand affordable and reliable high-speed Internet access in communities across the U.S.

“Our investments in broadband infrastructure are creating jobs in Wisconsin and across the nation and increasing access to reliable, high-speed internet so everyone in America has the tools they need to thrive in the 21st century,” said Harris.

In 2021, President Biden declared Juneteenth a federal holiday. Often referred to as the “Second Independence Day,” it commemorates June 19, 1865, the day when 2,000 Union troops reached Galveston, Texas, to announce that enslaved African Americans were freed by executive order two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, according to the National Museum of African American History and Culture .

“As a United States Senator, I was proud to co-sponsor a bill to make Juneteenth a federal holiday,” said Harris during the Juneteenth concert at the White House. “This [day], we will hold a national day of action on voting.  And I call on all the leaders here to please join us in helping more Americans register to vote.”

Reuters contributed to the reporting of this story.