Creating Context: Why Module Introductions Matter

In many courses, a weekly module can feel like a checklist—read this, watch that, take a quiz. But what's often missing is the why. Why these assignments? How do they relate to one another, or to the course as a whole?

This absence of context isn't just a design oversight—it's often the result of a common cognitive bias among experts: what psychologists call expert blind spot.

Within their area of expertise, instructors can quickly recognize patterns and understand how they fit into a broader picture. When they encounter new information, they know where it belongs within that schema, and often chunk and organize the information unconsciously. If they need to recall information, they can do so with relative ease. Novices, on the other hand, may only see isolated fragments of the overall schemata, and without a meaningful framework to put them into, they may encounter difficulty understanding, chunking, or recalling (Ambrose et al, 2010).

So while the choice of instructional materials in your course may be entirely obvious to you, or maybe you assume it's part of what the students are meant to discover on their own. But explicitly discussing why you selected your course materials–and how they connect–can help you overcome your expert blind spot and help prepare students for the skills and knowledge they'll need to learn.

Module introductions are a simple, powerful way to help students create that framework. They can prompt you to step back for a moment and consider:

• What do I want students to take away from this module?
• How does it build on what they encountered previously?
• Why should it matter to them?

By addressing those questions aloud, in a short video or written message, you make your expectations clear, help learners connect the dots, and make it more likely that students will engage with the week's materials in a meaningful way.

What Makes a Good Module Introduction

What makes for a good module introduction? In short, it reviews, previews, and motivates.

• Review what your students have already learned
• Preview the material they're going to encounter in this module
• Motivate them to consume it

Review

How does what students have already learned build to this point?

Explain in your module introduction where the students are at this point in the course. Address what they've already learned and identify concepts that are particularly relevant to the current module. This is what's referred to as activating prior knowledge. In their seminal work How Learning Works, the authors discuss the strong role that prior knowledge can play in learning, for good or for ill. And given how effective learning is when you scaffold students' knowledge and skills, it's essential that they have an accurate "scaffold" beneath them. Your module introduction should serve to reinforce that the existing foundation underpinning students' learning is built to spec, as it were. Research indicates that even token efforts to activate students' prior knowledge can have a positive effect on learning (Ambrose et al., 2010).

Use this piece to continue weaving the narrative of your course by connecting to what's come before.

Preview

What are students going to encounter, and how can you help them approach those materials purposefully?

While it may seem obvious, your module introduction should also give your students an idea of what they're about to encounter - what kinds of materials they need to consume, the assessments they'll take, or the skills or knowledge that they'll acquire.

It's important to go beyond just listing what the students will need to complete, however. Offer guidance on how to approach the materials and on what they should focus. Consider whether there are overarching themes or common arguments. Identify specific sections of readings or potential distractions of which students should be aware. Guide students through the materials so they understand not just what they'll learn, but why these materials were chosen.

Having an opportunity to explain the context of the module's materials may help you address your own expert blind spot. In addition, research indicates that providing an organizational framework (or "advance organizer") enhances students' comprehension and retention (Ambrose et al., 2010). So give them an idea of what's to come and how to navigate it.

Motivate

What makes this material relevant or valuable to your students?

Lastly—and perhaps most importantly—your module introduction should motivate students to consume the material. Explain why and how the material is relevant to course goals, how it relates to a real world context, or how future material in the course builds on it. Students' motivation is heavily influenced by the value that they assign to the course and its content, and explicitly articulating that value is key to promoting engagement and retention.

One way to consider addressing motivation in your module introduction is to create a "hook." Begin with a demonstration of a real-world process, a discussion of a common misconception, a discussion of a relatively current event, or an observation of a phenomenon that relates to the upcoming material. This piques students' interest and can enhance their motivation to consume and engage with the material more deeply.

Motivation is absolutely essential for your students' success. If they're not motivated to consume the material, participate, and devote cognitive effort to learning the material, they may perform much poorer than they could otherwise.So when filming, don't be afraid to bring energy and enthusiasm. Your tone can go a long way in sparking student interest.

Conclusion

While "review, preview, motivate" is a helpful way to think about the content of your module introductions, you don't need to follow that sequence. You might begin with a provocative question to motivate, then offer a quick review and preview to follow. The key is ensuring all three elements are present.

Module introductions help you weave a course narrative, giving students the mental scaffolding they need to make sense of new content. Videos offer an opportunity to communicate this context in creative ways and to use social cues (enthusiasm, eye contact, etc.) to promote engagement and foster a sense of community. By appropriately chunking material and addressing expert blind spots, the context provided encourages students to take a metacognitive perspective, empowering them to take ownership of their learning. While delivering the appropriate level of context demands time and effort, the positive impact on your students makes it worthwhile.

The great thing about module introduction videos is that they can be short, be delivered extemporaneously if desired, and be an opportunity to communicate your passion for the material. They're also a low-pressure entry point into course video production, particularly if you're new to creating course videos.

Examples

Below are a few visual examples that illustrate how instructors might structure a module introduction. Each one uses a different medium and instructional style, but all follow the same general principles: review, preview, and motivate.

Example 1: On-Camera Demonstration with Slides (Chemistry)

In the example below, this chemistry professor has set up a camera in front of a small table and uses props as well as overlaid PowerPoint slides to generate his module introduction.

Storyboard example of a module introduction using props and an on-camera instructor to explore the concept of density.

MOTIVATE	REVIEW	PREVIEW

Example 2: Slide-Only Narration (History)

In the next example, the instructor takes a much simpler approach, recording her voice over her PowerPoint slides.

Storyboard example of a module introduction using historical visuals and voiceover narration to connect past and present.

REVIEW	PREVIEW	MOTIVATE

Example 3: Slides with On-Camera Wrap-Up (Psychology)

This last example features an instructor who chose to use visual aids for the beginning of her introduction, but then just uses footage of herself at the end to add more weight to the motivational piece.

Storyboard example of a module introduction combining simple diagrams and direct-to-camera narration to explain cognitive bias.

PREVIEW	REVIEW	MOTIVATE

References