In 2015 alone each individual apparently spent an average of 568 hours watching Netflix. That's 1 hour, 33 minutes per day spent on live streaming. What does this tell us? Certainly people spend a lot of time watching videos. Though the common tendency is to watch downloaded versions, many still have the urge to spend money and time on live streaming. And why? Interest of course.
If a picture is more powerful than words, then it goes without saying that a video made of multiple pictures says lot more and leaves higher impact. The importance of videos has been acknowledged by the eLearning industry too and the best part is that videos run smoothly even on mobile devices. According to YouTube statistics, users are spending more time per session watching videos. On mobile, the average viewing session is now more than 40 minutes.
Many organizations now offer online courses in form of videos, that can be accessed anywhere, anytime and on any device. Khan Academy is one such example. However, as the organizational requirements keep varying, having courses hosted on YouTube is not always the best option. When we talk about corporate learning, there are various other ways of deploying videos. Short videos can be used as performance support tools, or embedded within an eLearning module. However, there are certain points that need to be focused on while creating videos for eLearning.
1. Focus on One Topic
Keep it simple, and try to cover one topic within one video. Adding too many topics into one video can tend to confuse the learners.
2. Try to Fuel Thoughts
A video should ideally be such that it triggers a thought process, or makes the learner ponder over it. If it does so, then chances are that the learners have set off on a learning expedition. As learning service providers that depicts your real success.
3. Make it Interactive
Interactive videos are already around and have proved to be highly successful as it gives the users an exploratory environment and also keeps them engaged. So, try to add interactions in between that make the learners feel like they have more control over the overall learning process.
4. Consider Accessibility Issues
A video with effective narration can always help in making learning process more effective, but we also have to consider situations where audio players are unavailable, or where the learner might be differently-abled. So, know your learners and if required create captions or a text and visual-based video based on the requirement.
5. Keep it Short
The fact that most learners today have a very short span of attention is well known. This applies for videos too. As popular studies imply videos are frequently watched on mobile devices, which can be on the go, using limited data packs too. The shorter the video- more are the chances of it being watched from start to end. With shorter videos the chances of it being shared among peers increases too.
6. Be Innovative
From the presentation style to the narrative, there are multiple ways to make the video innovative. The web is filled with videos and if you wish to make a statement with your's then you essentially have to think different.
7. Create a Good Script
The video has no future if this part is not done right. After all the script is the soul of the video. The content to be used in the video should be verified by the SMEs and the script should be proofread before production.
8. Edit it Well
Video editing is a crucial step. In includes flow verification, addition of effects to increase impact, snipping off extra spaces, audio synching and much more. A video is raw and unpresentable without this step.
9. Check the File Size
Video files are usually to the heavier side. Hence, the size should be optimized for mobile and tablet viewing before deployment.
Videos have great potential as instructional tools and its prevalence is growing with each day. However, with the evolution in technology, the aspects of video usage will keep changing. So, keep yourselves updated at all times.
We shall keep you posted about the latest in eLearning from time to time. So, keep reading.
We at Knowzies have recently helped one of our enterprise client to create eLearning courses using their videos. You can check our case study.