Open learning videos
Overview of open learning videos
Definition of open learning videos
Open learning videos are educational videos released with openness in mind. They are designed to be freely accessible, adaptable, and shareable, enabling learners and educators to reuse content in different contexts. Open formats and clear licensing help ensure the material can be used beyond a single course or institution, supporting collaborative teaching and lifelong learning.
Key concepts: OER, open licenses, and reuse
Open Educational Resources (OER) are materials offered under licenses that permit free access, revision, and redistribution. Open licenses—such as Creative Commons—specify what can be reused and how citations should be handled. Reuse is a central idea in open learning videos: instructors can remix, translate, tailor examples, and combine videos with other resources to fit local needs.
- OER: freely accessible, modifiable materials
- Open licenses: permissions for reuse and adaptation
- Reuse and remix: local customization and redistribution
Benefits and audience
For students
For students, open learning videos expand access to diverse topics without cost barriers. They offer flexible pacing, captions, and language options, which support varied learning needs. By enabling students to pause, rewind, and review, open videos complement other study methods and help everyone stay engaged.
For teachers and institutions
Teachers gain ready-made resources they can adapt to course goals. Institutions benefit from scalable content that can be updated over time, shared across departments, and integrated with learning platforms. Open videos also support collaborative curriculum design and peer-to-peer sharing within and across institutions.
For remote and underserved communities
Open videos help bridge access gaps in remote or underserved areas. They reduce dependency on costly materials and specialized facilities, while multilingual and culturally relevant content improves comprehension and relevance for diverse learners. Open models enable distributed teaching and self-directed learning where in-person options are limited.
Creation and formats
Video formats and durations
Design open learning videos with modular structure in mind. Short modules (5–10 minutes) work well for discrete concepts, while longer segments can cover complex topics. Use widely supported formats (such as MP4) and provide multiple resolutions to accommodate different devices and bandwidths.
Licensing and rights
Choose open licenses that clearly allow reuse and adaptation. Include license notices in video descriptions and shareable assets. A concise license summary helps viewers understand their rights quickly, fostering confident reuse and remixing in classrooms and communities.
Captioning and accessibility
Captioning improves accessibility and searchability. Provide accurate captions in the original language and offer translations when possible. Consider audio descriptions for visually focused content and ensure players are keyboard-accessible and compatible with assistive technologies.
Platforms, hosting, and distribution
Hosting options
Open videos can live on public platforms for reach, on institutional repositories for control, or across a mix of sites to balance visibility and licensing clarity. Hosting decisions should align with licensing terms and the intended audience, with metadata kept consistent across platforms.
Platform examples
Public platforms like YouTube and Vimeo offer broad discovery and captioning tools, while LMS-integrated hosting supports course-specific access. Institutional repositories and open education portals emphasize licensing clarity and reuse features, helping learners find genuinely open materials.
Discoverability and SEO
Clear titles, descriptions, and tags improve discoverability. Providing transcripts, chapters, and topic-focused metadata helps search engines and learning platforms index content effectively. A thoughtful distribution plan across channels can boost visibility without compromising licensing terms.
Accessibility, inclusivity, and quality
Accessibility best practices
Embed accessibility from the start: high-contrast visuals, scalable text, and navigable interfaces. Provide accurate captions, consider audio descriptions, and ensure keyboard operability. Involve diverse users in testing to identify and remove barriers early.
Localization and multilingual support
Localization broadens impact. Create transcripts and captions in multiple languages, and tailor metadata for regional audiences. When appropriate, adjust examples to reflect local contexts while preserving core concepts, inviting community contributions to expand language coverage.
Quality assurance and evaluation
Quality is judged by clarity, accuracy, and alignment with learning objectives. Use peer review and learner feedback, supported by basic analytics, to refine content. Regular updates and transparent versioning help maintain trust and relevance over time.
SEO and discoverability
Metadata, thumbnails, and indexing
Metadata should clearly describe content, outcomes, and difficulty. thumbnails should accurately reflect the video content. Ensure captions and transcripts are indexed to improve visibility within platforms and search engines.
Structured data and schema
Where supported, apply structured data to indicate videoObject properties such as duration and license. This helps search engines render rich results and improves indexing for open education resources.
Analytics and optimization
Track engagement, drop-offs, and completion rates to inform improvements. Use findings to adjust pacing, scripting, and visuals. A steady cycle of testing and refinement supports better discoverability and learning impact.
Case studies and best practices
Case study highlights
Effective open video programs emphasize clear licensing, modular design, and active community involvement. Case studies often show strong alignment with learning outcomes, inclusive accessibility, and ecosystems that encourage reuse across institutions and regions.
Lessons learned
Key lessons include planning licensing upfront, building content in reusable modules, and establishing governance for updates and translations. Involving learners and teachers in co-creation enhances relevance, while transparent quality checks build trust and sustainability.
Trusted Source Insight
Key takeaway
Trusted Source Summary: UNESCO emphasizes Open Educational Resources (OER) and open learning to expand access, equity, and quality in education. It stresses adaptable, multilingual content, open licenses, and policy support that enable reuse, remix, and sharing of resources, including open learning videos. This aligns with creating and distributing open educational video content that reaches diverse learners worldwide. For more details, see UNESCO.