Video is the ultimate show and tell. A combination of audio and visual elements that work together in a magical way to engage people.
Not all people learn the same way. Some prefer a combination of visual and auditory instruction, some learn best when reading, while others who learn best taking a more hands-on approach to learning. The best thing about video in an eLearning context is that it encompasses elements from all of these learning styles. This makes video one of the most engaging and effective eLearning tools available.
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Video is Engaging
Securing learner engagement has always been the biggest challenge faced by most instructional designers. While eLearning offers a host of advantages to busy employees, it requires self-motivation and discipline. With distractions only a click away, it becomes easy for a learner to lose focus.
Video gives instructional designers the opportunity to shape content in ways that are both engaging and entertaining. And, when done right, it does an excellent job of capturing, and keeping, the learners’ attention. The creative license course designers have is almost endless, including animations, slideshows, chapters, spot questions and even interactivity.
A few things to keep in mind with eLearning videos are:
- Don’t overload the viewer with useless information (either visual or auditory)
- Make sure you “grab” your viewer’s attention early in the video
- And make sure that your video isn’t too long, as studies show a viewer’s attention drops sharply once a video is over 6 minutes. So, as hard as this might be, try to separate your videos into short, manageable chunks.
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Makes Information Easier to Consume
The first thing most people do when they sit down to watch a video – especially a training video – is to check to see how long it is. If they see a 60-minute duration, it can create a psychological barrier that automatically lessens their ability to absorb the information they’re supposed to absorb.
This is why breaking down that 60-min video into twelve 5-min videos makes content more palatable and, studies have shown it improves the learners’ retention. Short, easy-to-consume videos are also convenient when learners don’t have large chunks of spare time on their hands. They can watch one, two, or three of the shorter videos at a sitting, finishing it over a few days, rather than all at once.
When deciding where to add your breaks is to go through the script and look for a change in the topic or a shift in the focus. As you read through your script, these breaks will likely become obvious to you.
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Accessible to Learners on the Go
With almost everyone able to watch videos and listen to podcasts on their phone, the age of mobile learning has well and truly arrived. When eLearning videos are broken down into short, engaging blocks of information, it’s easy to see how video in eLearning facilitates learning on the go . Whether on their morning commute, during a coffee break at work or in a waiting room, learners can fit his bite-sized training into their busy schedule.
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Facilitates Sharing and Collaboration
One of video’s biggest strengths is its share-ability. Videos that are informative, interesting, and relevant will be easy for learners to share with their colleagues. This means that new knowledge and skills are spreading — without you having to formally enroll all your employees in the course.
Three important elements here will help you to create a healthy social eLearning culture in the workplace:
- Making your videos short and focused
- Making your videos relevant to the learners and their colleagues
- Making your videos entertaining
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Ideal for “How-to” Training
Video is first and foremost a visual format. Because of this, and the fact that we can manipulate time and point of view in video, it lends itself very well to “how-to” style instructional training. Whether you’re teaching your learners how to bake a cake, fix a car, or use new software, video in eLearning is the perfect way to do this.
With so much control over where the viewer directs their attention, a video is an effective way to show learners the practical steps , processes, or details they need to successfully complete the task at hand. You can do this by recording a simple talking head video .
Then, by breaking the video into chapters or mini videos (depending on the scope) to create information chunks, you’ll help learners to consume at the pace they prefer. Of course, they can also revisit the video at any time in the future for a quick refresher.
If you’d like a professional team to handle your video content, don’t hesitate to send us an email [info@arcandcrown.com] or click here if you’d like to book a free 30-min video consultation with one of our producers. The team at Arc and Crown Media would be more than happy to help.
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