Using videos in eLearning
With the advancement of technology, the use of videos on smartphones devices, tablets and computers has increased. Developments such as YouTube and Vimeo have made watching videos easy and accessible to many people. According to YouTube’s statistics, more than 1 billion unique users visit YouTube each month and over 6 billion hours of video are watched each month. That is a lot of video engagement and it is evident that eLearning practitioners and instructional designers should be incorporating videos in their design kit.
Why use videos?
- Bite-size learning – Videos can be used to break up content, create emphasis on an important point or concept and are great to reduce the reading load for your students.
- Depicting behavioural or interpersonal skills…Some things are better understood seen than said. It is easier to depict tone, body language and emotions in video rather than in text or images.
- Videos are great to show demonstrations and how-to-guides. A student will find it easy to grasp the content, follow the steps and mimic the demonstration.
Implementing videos in your eLearning: guidelines and tips
- Write a script or storyboard
Keep your video short, engaging and to the point. A video should not be more than 3 minutes, as you can lose your audience if it is longer. Think of your video as a commercial where you have 3 minutes to introduce and explain your concept. It is also useful to design a script with a subject matter expert. This will prevent any later costs once the video is made and content needs to be changed due to subject errors.
- Choose your actors
Hire professional actors or voice over artists. If your budget doesn’t allow for professionals, use employees from your organisation that are experts in the topic and that are great presenters. Other employees will love to watch people they know.
- Record
When recording your video, make sure to remove any distractions and restrict any noises. Find a quiet meeting room or use a sound proof recording studio.
- Edit
Editing can be costly, but unprofessional editing can send out the wrong message and backfire on your learning material. If you can’t use video-editing professionals, try using user-friendly editing software, like Camtasia, that will make the editing process professional and easy for you.
- Formatting and saving
Make sure your videos are compressed, easy to download and compatible with multiple devices. Most authoring tools and online applications are compatible with MP4’s.
So be creative. Be inspiring. Keep is simple and engaging. And don’t be afraid to add a bit of Hollywood to your eLearning.
