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Content Delivery

This page contains recommendations to help you ensure the delivery of content is appropriately developed and delivered for both asynchronous and synchronous delivery using the digital education resources available. A range of best practice suggestions outline opportunities for the sessions to be interactive, scaffolded within the context of the module, and engaging. This includes specific suggestions on developing video and audio content.

In this video, Professor James Pickering, Student Education Academic Lead, introduces the variety of considerations that you should take teaching and delivering content for hybrid learning. Content Delivery covers a variety of aspects of hybrid learning such as how you present written and video material to students as well as how you engage with students in collaborative learning activities.

The SCALA Content Delivery guidance is also available to download.

What How
Asynchronous delivery of content via pre-recorded video or audio resources
  • Desktop capture / Narrated PowerPoint videos / MS stream
  • Create videos of 10-20 minutes and sequence (Desktop Capture)
  • Talking heads (Desktop Capture)
  • Avoid video overload
  • Link specific videos to individual or groups of tasks and provide clear sequencing and timeframes
  • Consider alternatives to screen-based delivery (ie, podcasts)
  • Review and present external videos that have been checked for content and relevance (ie, YouTube, MOOCs, LinkedIn Learning).
Synchronous delivery of content via live stream video teaching sessions
  • Live BB Collaborate / MS Teams
  • Explain that sessions are recorded for asynchronous study later and revision
  • Integrate recorded video into live sessions to create breaks and rest time
  • Promote engagement with the use of chat rooms, warm calling, polling, emojis and Padlet
  • Utilise whiteboard function to develop ideas and messages through annotation
  • Break up long live sessions with Q&A sessions
  • Best practice tips (microphones muted to start, hands up or type to ask questions, videos on where possible when talking to build social, engage with students personally and let them know they will be asked to contribute.
  • Using Collaborate open a room for students to pop in and stay on after the sessions for clarification
Asynchronous and Synchronous group-based collaborative activities to allow collaboration and discussion
  • On-line ‘live’ sessions with break out rooms, use of shared whiteboards, polls, chat function
  • Provide clear support material and tasks (ie, discuss and report / solve problem and report) for pre-session work
  • Set offline tasks to completion and then report back by set time.
  • Open discussion boards/ Microsoft Teams chat/ OneDrive Docs / Padlet / Wikis / Peerwise
Provide updated Library reading lists and ensure they are accessible remotely
  • Check with the library for accessibility ensuring all recommended reading is available online.
Consider cognitive load when designing videos and PowerPoint presentations
  • Use graphics and narration where possible, rather than narration, graphics and words.
  • Remove extraneous words, pictures and graphics
  • Keep relevant wording close to pictures
  • Provide cues for important material to be highlighted
  • Use a conversational style when narrating
  • Utilise whiteboard approach to develop ideas and messages.
Accessibility and Inclusion
  • Check all Module content for inclusive learning and teaching baseline standards using Blackboard Ally
  • Use Mediasite, Stream and Zoom to create videos with closed captions.

Content Delivery Principles and Models

You can use the following sets of principles and models as a guide to help you in applying SCALA to your teaching. The principles will help you design media (such as PowerPoint presentations and multimedia recordings) and how to support students to engage with your teaching sessions. The models act as a guide and starting point that you can adopt and adapt for your own teaching.

In this video, James provides an in-depth examination of two example models of Content Delivery. These models show two different approaches you can take for hybrid delivery when you design your learning and teaching. James discusses the rationale behind each model, which you can adapt and develop for your own needs and context.

Media Design Principles

When designing a new PowerPoint presentation, video, animation, workbook, or other multimedia presentation it is best practice to follow 12 evidenced-based principles on instructional design.  

These principles are based on an individual’s ability to take in information that is aligned to their cognitive capacity.  

See the 12 Media Design Principles

Online Engagement Principles

Maintaining engagement and supporting motivation are important consideration in all teaching activities, but especially where a significant part of the content is delivered online. These suggestions will help to keep students engaged with the material and support their learning and acquisition of new knowledge in a collaborative setting. 

See the online engagement principles

Example content delivery models

To help you apply these principles and recommendations for content delivery through SCALA, here are two delivery models you can use and adapt for your own teaching. 

Model A outlines an approach to content delivery for a topic within a module that requires students to engage with content prior to a discussion session. This model may be used as a week or topic planner depending on the learning objectives that need to be covered. 

Model B is similar in approach to Model A, but does not schedule pre-work for students. Content delivery follows a more traditional approach with a session outlining and detailing the various learning objectives scheduled that is interactive and engaging, and delivered in either real time or asynchronously. 

See more on the two models of content delivery: 

Content Delivery Model A Content Delivery Model B