Math Is Fun Forum / Which Video?

MathsIsFun · 2012-10-26 14:15:59

As the first stage of my quest to have videos for the mathsisfun.com website I now have 3 "test" videos on the same subject:

http://www.mathsisfun.com/video-compare.html

(Video V has a few minor errors, it will be a week or so for them to be fixed.)

I eventually want to have lots of videos, so getting things right to begin with will help.

Would you guys like to review them for me?
Including how you would combine the best features into one super-good one?

bobbym · 2012-10-26 15:44:45

Hi;

MathsIsFun · 2012-10-26 16:20:15

Thanks bobby!

bobbym · 2012-10-26 16:27:59

Hi MIF;

I do prefer the number line example in Video E replacing the one in Video S.

Better be ready to answer the question everyone will be thinking.

MathsIsFun · 2012-10-26 17:12:51

bobbym wrote:
Better be ready to answer the question everyone will be thinking.

No, not me, sorry

bobbym · 2012-10-26 18:13:19

The videos are very well done, what are you using to create them?

bob bundy · 2012-10-26 18:55:47

hi MathsIsFun,

All three videos present the topic in a way that is superior to text on screen even if it is pretty colours, so excellent way forward.

I found the female voice on E and V, easier to hear than the male voice on S. (something to do with frequency and emphasis I think)

I liked the simplicy of E; no distractions; just focus on the learning material.

By contrast I didn't like all the extra graphics on V; too much happening that wasn't relevant and at one point I found I was watching cartoon characters moving off screen and not listening to the voice.

I think the eat /don't eat explanation is better than the answer phone / don't answer phone example. (E and V)

The script on S was best, especially for the tank explanation ... diagram better too.

On V, baby Steven's steps did't match what he was supposed to be doing. On E, he actually makes the steps so it is clearer.

Multiplying three numbers. I liked E best for this, because the whole calculation stays on screen throughout, with the active bits highlighted. On the other two, the calculation disappears and is replaced by the -2 x -3 = +6 part. Some learners might not see where that fits into the whole.

Overall preference: E best; then S and V last.

Hope that helps. Keep up the good work,

Bob

ps. I don't know what question bobbym is talking about either.

MathsIsFun · 2012-10-27 08:24:23

Thanks Bob!

About the videos: I got different production companies to make each one, so I could best gauge what was available. And your feedback will help me decide what the future videos will be like.

bobbym · 2012-10-27 08:30:08

Hi;

Good videos would be a definite asset. Many of the ones I watch on youtube put me to sleep.

bob bundy · 2012-10-27 09:05:13

What I find irritating about many of the Youtube videos is how badly they are thrown together. They don't so much send me to sleep as leave me seething.

The presenter mumbles and makes mistakes. The diagrams are poor and don't always fit the available space. And the whole presentation is often just what you'd get from a face to face tutorial so they've not used the power of computers at all.

MIF's videos are clearly planned; they use animations effectively; thought has gone into the script and screen layout and the message is clear. Even the poorest of the three is heaps better than others I have seen elsewhere.

Bob

MathsIsFun · 2012-10-27 11:21:43

Well, that is some good encouragement!

noelevans · 2012-10-27 12:52:24

Hi! I like E best except for the baby. It is hard to tell which way it is facing compared to that in V.
Also it might be better to use something like 300 liters instead of 30000 liters. Big numbers
are scary to some folks.

To me the music in S is distracting and S seems to move a bit fast since it seems to do more
showing of answers on the screen without verbalization.

Multiplication of signed numbers is difficult to explain. I like the walking on the number line
and money examples much better than the tank example.

I don't know whether it would be worth mentioning that the calculation of the size of the answer
is independent of finding the sign of the answer. The videos certainly follow that pattern. But
in addition and subtraction the size of the two numbers can affect the sign of the result. So
addition and subtraction are typically harder for people to learn. Perhaps the subject of
another video?

I congratulate you on producing these videos. Seeing the operations in real time and being
explained in real time certainly beats plane jane black and white pages of explanations.
Your videos are more "colorful and inviting" than Khanacademy's but probably take longer to
produce and are probably are more expensive to produce.

These videos "beg" for more on addition, subtraction and division.

Keep up the good work!!!

bobbym · 2012-10-27 14:33:32

Hi MIF;

Just one more thing. It is not important to the discussion but leaving it out can raise some questions. Zero is neither positive or negative and should be said somewhere in the beginning.

Calligar · 2012-10-27 16:49:08

Um...bobbym or anyone, I would like to post my answer, but so it doesn't affect others decisions, I'd like to put it in the post where you have to click the button to see it, and I'm not sure how to do that...

bob bundy · 2012-10-27 18:32:39

noelevans wrote:
To me the music in S is distracting

I agree. I had it on my list but forgot to say, earlier.

Thanks noelevans,

Bob

bobbym · 2012-10-27 19:11:25

Hi Calligar;

Put it between the hide tags.

Use the word hide with [ in front and ] in back to start your message. At the end put /hide with [ in front and ] in the back.

phrontister · 2012-10-27 20:22:47

Hi Calligar,

Here are links to a couple of my posts about the 'hide box' from the thread "How to hide an answer" in the "Help Me !" forum:

First link
Second link

MathsIsFun · 2012-10-28 18:16:01

Thanks noelevans, both for the thoughtful feedback and the nice words.

It seems that "S" and "E" are both preferred. At this stage I will be getting the people who made the "S" video to make more, but modified according to feedback.

So far I have:
* Animations are good, but should not be distracting like the "V" video
* Slow down a little (probably simplest to add a few seconds pause after a key point, or calculation)
* For me I like having music, but perhaps at a lower volume.
* Presenter should have a clearer voice (necessarily female?)
* E has the best number line
* E has the best three-number explanation

Calligar · 2012-10-29 11:02:32

Thanks, I think I got it now. Also, this answer might be a little late, but I guess better now then never...

I personally like video v the best. After watching all of them, here are my thoughts...

Video V seemed to be the most interesting and able to keep my attention out of the 3. It seemed to clearly explain everything, and I didn't seem to have any issues with it.

Video E, well, trying to put into words, it seemed a little more...open. There were differences in the way things were done that almost be done like one thing after the next, instead of more naturally talking about it. I'm not sure if I'm quite getting this across well, but it also seemed a little more, demanding rather then feeling like I was really going to learn from it. I really don't think I did a good job at explaining my reasons behind this, but I tried...

Video S was the only one I had trouble paying attention too. There could have been other reasons for that, but I was trying to pay close attention to all 3, and this one in particularly didn't seem to grasp my attention the best. That's really the only reason I have for this one.

All the videos in my opinion were well done, with the 2 on top for me being Video V and Video E, it was only really small differences that led me to like Video V the best out of them all (which I tried to explain, but don't think I did the best job at). Any of the videos that are chosen I think would overall be pretty good for teaching people, but in my own opinion, I think Video V gets everything across the best.

Last edited by Calligar (2012-10-29 11:13:53)

anonimnystefy · 2012-10-29 11:20:59

This is not really related to the topic, but I must congratulate MIF for his hard work and no less than 12 years of it (which I only now noticed!)...

MathsIsFun · 2012-10-29 11:37:40

Thanks anonimnystefy!

Calligar: your opinion is not too late (I will continue listening to feedback) and is very interesting, thank you.

Just for fun (ignoring the million dollar fees!), who would you like as a presenter? What about Morgan Freeman, Sean Connery, Seth Green (he does Chris Griffin on Family Guy) or anyone else?

bobbym · 2012-10-29 11:41:38

anonimnystefy · 2012-10-29 11:42:15

I would like Lana Del Rey. Her voice is soothing.

While I have you- could you maybe add buttons for the hide and url tags on the Post Reply page any time soon?

Last edited by anonimnystefy (2012-11-06 02:39:30)

MathsIsFun · 2012-10-29 13:09:00

Wow, cool choices!

anonimnystefy · 2012-10-29 13:14:12

Did you see the second part of post #23?

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#1 2012-10-26 14:15:59

Which Video?

#2 2012-10-26 15:44:45

Re: Which Video?

#3 2012-10-26 16:20:15

Re: Which Video?

#4 2012-10-26 16:27:59

Re: Which Video?

#5 2012-10-26 17:12:51

Re: Which Video?

bobbym wrote:

#6 2012-10-26 18:13:19

Re: Which Video?

#7 2012-10-26 18:55:47

Re: Which Video?

#8 2012-10-27 08:24:23

Re: Which Video?

#9 2012-10-27 08:30:08

Re: Which Video?

#10 2012-10-27 09:05:13

Re: Which Video?

#11 2012-10-27 11:21:43

Re: Which Video?

#12 2012-10-27 12:52:24

Re: Which Video?

#13 2012-10-27 14:33:32

Re: Which Video?

#14 2012-10-27 16:49:08

Re: Which Video?

#15 2012-10-27 18:32:39

Re: Which Video?

noelevans wrote:

#16 2012-10-27 19:11:25

Re: Which Video?

#17 2012-10-27 20:22:47

Re: Which Video?

#18 2012-10-28 18:16:01

Re: Which Video?

#19 2012-10-29 11:02:32

Re: Which Video?

#20 2012-10-29 11:20:59

Re: Which Video?

#21 2012-10-29 11:37:40

Re: Which Video?

#22 2012-10-29 11:41:38

Re: Which Video?

#23 2012-10-29 11:42:15

Re: Which Video?

#24 2012-10-29 13:09:00

Re: Which Video?

#25 2012-10-29 13:14:12

Re: Which Video?

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