Using Xtranormal Videos to Enhance Hybrid and

Online Courses Barbara O’Neill, Ph.D., CFP®

Extension Specialist in Financial Resource Management and Professor II Rutgers Cooperative Extension

oneill@aesop.rutgers.edu

Personal Introduction

• Professor II and Extension Specialist in Financial Resource Management

• Rutgers Cooperative Extension employee for 34 years

• CFP® for 28 years

• Teach undergraduate Personal Finance class

• Twitter handle: moneytalk1

Four Workshop Objectives • Explain use of Xtranormal videos

• Demonstrate sample Xtranormal videos

• Discuss how to make an Xtranormal video

• Have participants start writing an Xtranormal video script

Virtual World Educational Content

• How many are familiar with Second Life?

• How many regularly use Second Life?

• How many are familiar with Xtranormal?

• How many have made Xtranormal videos?

Virtual Learning Platforms

Second Life

• Requires users to be able to access and use Second life

• Good for in-depth content

• Requires payment for land, clothes, etc. (Linden dollars)

Xtranormal

• Users access content through online searching or links sent to them

• Good for short content “sound bites” of 2-3 minutes

• Requires payment to publish videos (Xtranormal XP points)

Second Life Introduction http://secondlife.com/ http://maps.secondlife.com/ (Second Life World Map) http://maps.secondlife.com/index.php?q=morrill+island&s=Places (Cooperative Extension Morrill Island)

Xtranormal Introduction • www.xtranormal.com • http://www.xtranormal.com/how-to/ (training videos)

• http://www.xtranormal.com/how-to/ (Xtranormal for

educational use)

Three Uses for Xtranormal Videos

• Teach concepts and promote use of educational materials

• Provide case studies for staff training

• Student-created videos as class assignment

#1. Teach Concepts and Promote Educational Materials

• Rutgers Cooperative Extension Small Steps to Health and Wealth™ program: http://njaes.rutgers.edu/sshw/

• “SSHW encourages people to make positive behavior changes to simultaneously improve their health and personal finances” (elevator statement)

• Second edition book coming in February 2013 See http://palspublishing.cals.cornell.edu/nra_order.taf?_function=detail&pr_id=159&_UserReference=484E20A122FFE31150EEE5FC

SSHW Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpYMxgZCtZ8

2. Provide Case Studies for Staff Training

• Used in training New York Public Library staff about financial education resources

• Short videos (approx. 2-3 minutes) featuring a library staffer and patron

• Ends with a question posed to the library staffer

• Segue to group discussion

Program Overview

Money Matters– Information Not Advice: A NYPL Staff Training Program

• Series of 11 NYPL staff training workshops • Offered in Manhattan, the Bronx, Staten Island • Online content: Leader’s Guide and e-Learning Modules

Money Matters Objective

To help build skills and confidence to help patrons to access timely, accurate, and trustworthy information about personal finance.

This project was made possible by a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)

NYPL Staff Role: Information Not Advice

Giving information lets someone know what the options are so he/she can make a decision about the best course of action.

Giving advice is telling another person what he/she should do. It may send an unspoken message that the listener is not capable of making his/her own decisions, but needs to be told what to do.

Money Matters Pro Web Site • URL: https://sites.google.com/a/nypl.org/money-matters/

• Includes all resources developed for NYPL staff training

(PowerPoints, handouts, resource lists, etc.)

• Xtranormal video link is included in each training module

Xtranormal Video Use in Training • Used in training NYPL staff about answering patron

questions using financial education resources

• Short videos (approx. 2-3 minutes) featuring a library

staffer and patron

• Ends with a “resource” question posed to the library staffer

• Segues to a group discussion

Sample Xtranormal Videos Investing 1: http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/13618473/nypl-money-matters-investing-10 Investing 2: http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/13743733/nypl-money-matters-investing-20 Paying for College: http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/13623328/nypl-money-matters-paying-for-college Credit 1: http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/13645983/nypl-money-matters-credit-debt-10 Credit 2: http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/13646062/nypl-money-matters-credit-debt-20 Retirement: http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/13646025/nypl-money-matters-retirement-jerry-your-money Identity Theft: http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/13646046/nypl-money-matters-identity-theft Banking: http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/13763632/nypl-money-matters-banking-30

3. Student Created Xtranormal Videos • Personal Finance class (DAFRE elective undergraduate

class) Web site: http://rci.rutgers.edu/~boneill/

• Financial Case Study Analysis assignment: http://rci.rutgers.edu/~boneill/assignments/case-study.html

• Capstone activity: integrates entire semester’s content: topics, financial analysis tools, etc.

• Teams of 3-4 students; requires both a paper and a presentation

Financial Case Study Presentation: Make Me Say WOW!

• Straight PowerPoint Presentation (bare minimum)

• Poems

• Fairy Tale: http://www.slideshare.net/BarbaraONeill/personal-finance-class-group-case-study-project-slides-1211

• Skits

• Xtranormal Videos

Xtranormal Video Case Study Presentation

• Case Study Scenario: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJqE07zBvb8

• Financial Advice: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FV6KkXJT6w

Xtranormal Accounts Xtranormal Account User Name: moneytalkBMO Coming soon….grant-funded projects • Xtranormal videos to promote America Saves Week

2013 (freestanding and linked to from social media)

• Xtranormal videos to train military financial counselors (NIFA-DoD grant)

Start Your Videos With a Plan! • Xtranormal video title

• Number and types of characters

• Key content concepts (2-3)

• Key marketing concepts (2-3)

• Title slide text content (e.g., organization Web link, mission statement, meaningful quotation )

How to Make Xtranormal Videos • Set up Xtranormal account with username and password

– Go to http://www.xtranormal.com/ and click “Sign Up”

– Get 300 free points

• Decide on video title and content

• Click “Create”

• Pick a “collection” (unique style of actors and sets); select 1 actor or two actors

• Select a set

• Choose actors and their voices

How to Make an Xtranormal Video • Add background sounds (optional)

• Enter dialogue (prepare in advance…or not)

• Add animations and camera angles (or use “auto cameras”)

• Add title bubble at end for branding and credits

• Listen to test dialog changes

• Preview to test audio and video

• Publish when complete; pay points when needed

Xtranormal (XP) Points • 300 free XP at sign-up to publish first video

• Sold in bundles; various points plans

– 1,200 XP for $10

– 15,000 XP for $50

– 40,000 XP for $100

– 80,000 XP for $150

• Purchase with credit card or PayPal

• Also professional and educator plans

• “Points bar” at top of user’s page tells number of points needed to publish video and how many left

Helpful Things to Know • Xtranormal has excellent tutorials with screen shots:

https://xtranormal.zendesk.com/home

• Simple words are best

– Example: “maybe” instead of “possibly”

• Spell words out as they are pronounced

– Example: Four oh one kay plan for 401(k) plan

• Video previews take a LONG time to load

More Helpful Things to Know • Published videos are saved in “My Stuff”

• Can click a button to publish video on YouTube

• Can publish a simple video in < 300 XP points

– Purchase “assets” (sets and actors)

– Can reuse actors & sets previously paid for

• Expect some “intonation issues” (like a GPS)

• Can view video dialogue in preview mode

Still More Helpful Things to Know • Review the 10 camera angles and make a list of what

they show (before you start) OR use auto cameras

• Beware: commas can = awkward pauses

• Can edit published videos

– Requires additional XP points

• DON’T copy and paste text from Word

– Underlying Word commands leave awkward pauses

– Use Notepad or just type directly into text boxes

Let’s Start YOUR Xtranormal Video

• Video presentation or student assignment

– What do you want to teach or promote?

• Two Characters

• A few rounds of dialogue between characters

Comments? Questions? • Go forth and create powerful Xtranormal videos • Create videos yourself or have your students create them

• Write Xtranormal video point costs into grant applications • Make content presentations fun!

• Be Xtraordinary!