Video is a major part of our everyday life. From YouTube to TikTok to Instagram stories and more, people choose video when looking for entertainment as well as information. Therefore, it only makes sense that we take this tendency into account when producing eLearning content.
Benefits
There are many ways in which using videos in eLearning can be beneficial for your learners:
- Videos are much more engaging and are great for capturing learners’ attention.
- Videos can deliver a lot of information in a short period of time.
- Emotions and behaviors can be portrayed more effectively.
- Videos are great for demonstrating complex concepts and processes.
- Videos can help learners understand and analyse information.
Best practices
The way you produce and use videos in your eLearning will usually depend on your specific learning goals. Still, there are some general best practices that you may want to follow:
Video length
Shorter videos usually work better than very long ones. However, sometimes you may need a longer video, for example, to thoroughly explain a concept or demonstrate a chain of actions and consequences. In such cases, you may need a detailed script and professional actors to make the content engaging and easy to comprehend.
You could also consider various interactions, such as:
- Asking for feedback
- Quizzes
- Offering choices that lead to different outcomes
Interactions will not only improve learner engagement, but also encourage learners to analyse and evaluate the provided information.
Accessibility
Always keep in mind that your content should be accessible to all learners. Therefore, consider the following adjustments:
- Provide a transcript
- Add captions
- Do not start video automatically
- Make it easy to stop video and control volume using keyboard navigation
Quality
Make sure that the video is of sufficient quality and looks good when inserted into your eLearning course. You should also consider the file size, so that learners don’t have to wait for the video to load.
When filming, do everything you can to ensure good audio quality. Ideally, you could use a studio to record audio. If this is not possible, try to eliminate background noises and place a microphone near the speaker.
Drawbacks
The most common objection against using videos in eLearning is costs. However, you don’t always need a big budget to have videos in your eLearning courses. First, always explore the resources you already have, such as existing video libraries or Internet resources that you can link to in the course.
For simpler videos, there is not much need for professional equipment or a scriptwriter. You just have to be smart about your location and participants and have a clear game plan before you get started.