(291a) Act Now! Operators Are Standing By: Student Pitch Videos

Video has become a pervasive communication method in the United States; over half of the US population accessed YouTube at least once last year, often for hours at a time. Employers interviewing our graduating seniors often request video as part of the interview process. It’s likely many of your students frequently share short video through Instagram or Snapchat (occasionally even in class). Simple video production using cell phones is now within the capabilities of most student teams. Helping our students to become better producers of accurate, succinct, and engaging video media is increasingly important.

We have developed a short assignment that requires students to summarize their class project as a 1-2 minute “pitch video.” We have successfully deployed this assignment in our senior design sequence, thermodynamics, as well as elective courses. Students’ video production is scaffolded with examples, guide sheets, and pointers to example media and supported with a limited number of iPads and microphones for loan. This scaffolding and support approach has resulted in better quality videos as well as in enhanced student reflection on their projects.