2/5/2019 Choosing the Right Lecture Format – Udemy

Choosing the Right Lecture Format

Your lecture format has a big impact on how your students will process information. The
most effective courses use a mix of different formats to convey each message in the most
engaging way. The three high level formats are video file, text article, and quiz. And within
the video format, you can choose to create a talking head, screencast, or slide
presentation.

Depending on the content you are teaching in an individual lecture, you should pick the
lecture format that will provide the best visual accompaniment to your message. Below you
will find a list of all the possible formats and tips when to best use them. You don’t have to
use all types, but mixing it up provides variation to students, which helps guard against
boredom and helps refocus attention!

Talking Head

https://support.udemy.com/hc/en-us/articles/229606188-Choosing-the-Right-Lecture-Format 1/6
2/5/2019 Choosing the Right Lecture Format – Udemy

Purpose: Build trust and credibility, demonstrate support or empathy for students, provide
variation

Use for: Intro video, intro or summary of section, when you share a story or share your
perspective, when you would otherwise stay on the same slide / screen page for a longer
time (more than 30 seconds)

Slides

https://support.udemy.com/hc/en-us/articles/229606188-Choosing-the-Right-Lecture-Format 2/6
2/5/2019 Choosing the Right Lecture Format – Udemy

Purpose: Focus attention on key points, visualize complicated mental models, ensure
spelling is known

Use for: Multi-step concepts, highlighting key points, defining jargon, visualizing
models. Don’t forget you can include images in slides too!

Tip: Use large font for students watching your course on mobile!

Screencast

https://support.udemy.com/hc/en-us/articles/229606188-Choosing-the-Right-Lecture-Format 3/6
2/5/2019 Choosing the Right Lecture Format – Udemy

Purpose: Walk through multi-step processes

Use for: Describing how to use software or find relevant examples on the internet, get
students to follow along, showing how to use particular programs or programming
languages

Tip: Zoom in for students watching your course on mobile!

Article Lecture

https://support.udemy.com/hc/en-us/articles/229606188-Choosing-the-Right-Lecture-Format 4/6
2/5/2019 Choosing the Right Lecture Format – Udemy

Purpose: Provide variation, self-guided learning, easy way to combine text & images

Use for: Concepts/step-by-step guides that students can work through on their own,
materials that need to be seen written, intro or summary of section, supplemental material,
introducing an activity

Quiz

https://support.udemy.com/hc/en-us/articles/229606188-Choosing-the-Right-Lecture-Format 5/6
2/5/2019 Choosing the Right Lecture Format – Udemy

Purpose: Test knowledge, provide variation, engage students

Use for: Opportunity for students to assess if they understood and remember the content,
section outro, pre-test knowledge about a topic, section intro

https://support.udemy.com/hc/en-us/articles/229606188-Choosing-the-Right-Lecture-Format 6/6