Developed by Martine Peters, professor at Université du Québec en Outaouais

2.1.1. Video Essay Benefits. 10
2.1.2. Video Essay Objectives. 10
2.1.3. Video Essay Guidelines. 11
2.1.4. Timetable. 12
2.1.5. Video Essay Evaluation Criteria. 13
2.1.6. Resources. 14

1.1.1. Video Essay Benefits

• Simple to organize and few resources needed
• Students can use Ai2 to prepare their arguments
• Develops autonomy of participants

1.1.2. Video Essay Objectives

• Gain knowledge of the essay topic.
• Improve written communication by structuring and expressing ideas clearly, consistently and logically.
• Defend an argument: Develop and justify a viewpoint with evidence and examples.
• Offer personal reflection rooted in experience and knowledge.
• Develop critical thinking by analyzing and evaluating arguments logically and thoroughly.
• Increase information research skills in finding reliable sources to explain the analysis.
• Synthesize information: Combine diverse ideas and perspectives into a clear and consistent text.

1.1.3. Video Essay Guidelines

Carefully read the topic and make sure you completely understand it. You will need to identify the key concepts. Reword the topic in the form of questions to guide your reflection and help you conduct your information research.

Your video essay must have three sections.

1. Introduction — Clear and concise
2. Hook: Presentation of the topic and issues to grab attention. You must also add a personal reflection on the topic, based on an experience you have had, direct observation, or a specific local situation (this reflection must be integrated throughout the essay to convey your arguments).
3. Definition of key terms: Explain important concepts related to the topic.
4. Problematic and presentation of outline: Introduce the central issue you will deal with and briefly present the structure of your essay.

• Development — With argumentation that follows a logical structure
  • Main idea: Explain the central idea or argument of the section.
  • Support the idea with evidence and practical examples from your reflection, facts and scientific references.
  • Make a transition from this section to the next section to show the logic of your argumentation and ensure fluidity in your text.
  • Present the next idea of your argumentation and so on. You should have at least two main ideas and no more than four.

• Conclusion — This must briefly and effectively summarize your main arguments. You must provide a clear response to the central issue that was presented in the introduction. Do not introduce new ideas in the conclusion. However, you can open the door for other reflections.

You absolutely must use at least three scientific sources. You must properly cite your sources. If you have used an author’s idea or words, you must give the complete reference in your text and also at the end in a bibliography.

Part 1 of Task (formative)

Find a video on a topic connected to the course. Do a brief rhetorical analysis of techniques used in the video to convince and/or explain. Also make a connection between the video and what has been presented in class (content). Prepare for a discussion in class of your video, its techniques and its content.

Part 2 of Task

Create your own video (6–10 minutes) on another topic, using techniques that have been discussed in class. Make sure you reflect on the goal of your video, its intended audience, its context and its genre. You absolutely must make connections between your topic and what has been discussed in the classroom. You must also make connections with recent or local events.   

Your video can contain animations or still images, as well as an audio recording of your voice that explains the content of your essay. You can also display text on the screen to follow or replace part of the audio narration. Music or sound effects can also be combined with the audio. This is where you get to demonstrate your creativity!

When you record your video, be sure to use an appropriate, clear and formal language level, without colloquial speech or language that is too personal.

1.1.4. Timetable

To be submitted	Week	Weight
Viewing of a video before class and discussion in class	1	–
Email with a short description of the topic of your essay for approval	2	1 point
Email to indicate three scientific references that will be used, with two sentences for each to justify their relevance to the video essay	3	1 point
Storyboard (plan) of the video essay arguments (maximum one page)	4	3 points
Presentation of a draft of the video in groups of three for constructive feedback	6	5 points
Submission of video essay	8	25 points
Total		35 points

Any late submission may result in a penalty. However, in exceptional situations, you may request an extension.

1.1.5. Video Essay Evaluation Criteria

Criteria	Unsatisfactory	Satisfactory	Good	Excellent
Understanding of topic	Insufficient understanding or off-topic	Limited understanding; lack of depth in analysis	Good understanding with relevant, but standard, interpretation	In-depth and nuanced understanding; original and clear interpretation
Clarity of arguments	Confusing, inconsistent or missing arguments	Arguments present, but not very clear or poorly structured	Arguments strong overall, but some inconsistencies	Logical and well-structured arguments, justified by relevant examples
Quality of visual and audio content	Low-quality video; visuals and audio do not contribute to arguments	Satisfactory visual and audio content, but lack of relevant integration	Good quality overall, but some possible improvements to sound or visuals	High-quality video, with clear sound and visuals used well to convey arguments
Creativity	Absence of creativity in addressing the topic	Little creativity in presentation; limited use of multimedia elements	Relevant approach, but not very creative; use of media in a traditional way	Creative approach to the topic; innovative use of multimedia elements
Use of sources and references	Absence of adequate citations; lack of integration of sources	Superficial or incomplete use of sources; limited citations	Good use of sources, but some citations could be more accurate	Clear audio or visual citations that are well integrated; relevant academic sources
Clarity and accuracy of oral presentation	Presentation difficult to follow, unclear or inappropriate	Understandable presentation, but lack of clarity or accuracy	Clear presentation, but some hesitations or repetitions	Fluid, well-articulated and compelling presentation; vocabulary suitable for topic
Video structure	Absence of consistent structure or logical transitions	Structure present, but sometimes confusing or disorganized	Clear structure, but some transitions could be improved	Well defined and logical introduction, development and conclusion

Criteria	Unsatisfactory	Satisfactory	Good	Excellent
Interaction with audience	No effort to engage spectators; monotone or inappropriate tone	Little effort to engage with spectators; unsuitable tone or rhythm	Good engagement, but sometimes too monotone or too fast	Strong engagement with spectators; use of suitable tone and rhythm
Respect of technical guidelines	Several technical guidelines not respected	Some guidelines not respected	Technical guidelines respected overall, with some minor errors	Video respects all technical guidelines (length, audio/video quality, format)
Respect of academic integrity	Serious violations of integrity policies (plagiarism, missing sources)	Some minor violations of academic standards	General respect of integrity standards, with some minor errors	Complete respect of academic integrity standards (sources explicitly mentioned during and at end of video)

1.1.6. Resources

Brancato, M. and Kopp, N. (2024, September 27). Want Your Students to Write Better? Assign Video Essays. The Chronicle of Higher Education. https://www.chronicle.com/article/want-your-students-to-write-better-assign-video-essays