Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, Matjaz Boncina
Video lectures aren't the most dynamic aspect of online learning. Instead of offering a face-to-face discussion, these segments are static and are often considered boring. In fact, I once knew a student who watched his Economics lectures at triple the speed to spare himself the tediousness. Simply put: many viewers would rather participate in a virtual video conference or learn on their own.

In response to these criticisms, a number of online professors are shortening the length of their lecture videos. The Chronicle of Higher Education reports:

"Just because 50-minute classroom sessions are the norm on a college schedule does not make that the ideal duration for students outside the lecture hall.

"Best practices are suggesting that shorter, modular clips ... are more successful than 50-minute sections," says John G. Flores, chief executive of the United States Distance Learning Association. "The days of having someone lecture for 50 minutes via video pretty much are - or are least should be - a thing of the past," he says.

And professors who have experimented with the short form online have learned something else: Shorter may work better in the classroom, too."

On one hand, this may make learning more enjoyable for virtual students. On the other, it may end up shortening their attention spans and depriving them of an in-depth education.