In the modern era, information technology advances have played a significant role in bringing about a change in the behaviour and attitude of learners. With the reducing attention span of learners, it is getting difficult to grab their attention for a longer period of time. Video-based learning is rapidly gaining traction in corporate training because of the high level of immersion, flexibility, and the way it delivers content in an entertaining, engaging and immersive manner. When implemented correctly, video-based learning has the power to captivate, entice and educate learners. According to research by Forrester, employees are 75% more likely to watch a video than to read documents or online articles. Training and learning through video is extremely convenient and the most effective way. The large number of benefits associated with video-based learning is encouraging organizations to adopt this trend in their training methods. There are several formats of video-based learning and its benefits.
Video facilitates storytelling
Storytelling is considered one of the most effective ways to convey information in an engaging way.
They help us build personal connections, based on empathy, trust and compassion. Video storytelling helps us process, remember and recall information. While facts will not be remembered, stories that contain facts and information will catch the attention of the learner and therefore be recalled. Stories make concepts less personal and are an excellent way to present sensitive information, introduce case studies and cover conflict issues. Video storytelling helps employees associate themselves with the main character and motivate them towards a learning goal.
Keeps the learners engaged
The most important requirement for maximizing training effectiveness and workplace productivity for modern organizations is to engage learners. Videos are the most popular learning medium for today’s generation of modern employees. According to Demand Gen, interactive content gains two times more engagement than static content. Interactive videos turn passive viewers into active ones with the purpose of engagement and paying attention. An interactive video keeps a learner’s focus on the content. These videos not only keep learners engaged but also keep them coming back for more. It allows the learners to make a series of decisions to move forward and also at intervals take quizzes to move to the next level of a training course.
Videos can be personalized
As technology advances, learners become more demanding and they expect training programs to be more relevant and customized. Personalized videos are customized for a specific group of learners using a set of data to seamlessly weave the information into the video. The information could include name, job title, responsibilities or technical specifications of their departments. Personalized videos result in a more complete understanding of new concepts, better engagement which increases knowledge retention and makes learning more effective. It also saves time taken by a learner to engage with and understand new subject.
Videos boost retention
Video is one of the most popular means of delivering and consuming content. Research says – visuals are processed 60,000 times faster than text in human brains. It changes the way learners learn and increases the learners’ chances to succeed. Videos are made up of multiple elements (audio, video and interactivities) that require users to click and interact with the content. This leads to engage the learner through multiple sense that creates a stimulating experience and long-term retention.
Different types of video formats to increase learning impact
Microlearning videos
Short, focused videos that are designed to meet a specific learning outcome. Microlearning videos allow more control over the pace of learning and make the learning content easier to consume. It focuses and offers just the right amount of information necessary to help a learner achieve a specific, actionable objective and improve the learning experience. As a result, microlearning videos have become one of the most popular ways to deliver training. Microlearning videos can be a standalone nugget or a part of a longer learning path.
Interactive videos
These types of videos offer an immersive learning experience, allowing learners to lead their own storyline and actively participate in the learning process. With these video tutorials, learners can recall or understand the application, resulting in a sticky learning experience. The use of interactivity features such as drag-and-drop, multiple-choice questions, hotspots and click interactivities helps learners actively interact with the content rather than passively receiving it using interactive videos in training courses makes learning fun, engaging and memorable.
Expert-led videos
Expert advice and guidance are always valuable. The videos where industry experts explain concepts to reinforce key terms, definitions and contexts in the form of an explainer video make it more appealing and engaging. Expert-led video is considered highly effective for emotional engagement and it enables learners to understand the ‘whys’ behind what they are learning. Instructors may use case studies/ real-life experiences as supporting learning content to help learners understand the concepts clearly. These videos are widely regarded as a cost-effective method and maximize the effectiveness of the learning process.
Explainer videos
Explanatory videos are most commonly used to explain products, concepts, processes, or services and highlight it’s benefits in a visually appealing and memorable way. There are different styles of explainer videos – animated, live-action and whiteboard. Explainer videos can be used to gain a wider audience. These videos are effective as they make the learners identify the character. Whiteboard explainer videos use visual storytelling tools like visual metaphors and character design which hold learners attention while creating empathy.
Conclusion
Workplace training is certainly an integral part of the human growth and development process. It is no secret that videos are becoming increasingly popular and utilizing videos effectively in workplace training can be extremely useful and effective for the employees. Video-based learning is cost-effective, engaging way to train employees in any industry and topic.