You may have seen the recent article on FE Weekly introducing Sony Vision Exchange, the latest collaborative, virtual environment and video technology for students, lecturers and educational establishments, publishing research regarding the uptake of video and digital learning content. They have found that although 88% of education professionals agree that video improves engagement with students, only 29% use video-based revision tools.
The utilisation of learning technology is moving in the right direction; however, you don’t have to blow the budget on high end solutions. There’s a lot to choose from, including huge content libraries, augmented and virtual reality, and even AI. However, you don’t have to be Bill Gates or Stephen Spielberg to take advantage of the benefits which using learning technologies such as video provides.
Recent research from Social Bakers tells us that 50% of You Tube traffic is video content ranging between 16 and 120 seconds long, which tells us that this is the ‘sweet spot’ for engagement and interest.
Generation Z students, or ‘digital natives’, have an expectation of content and learning offered on a consumer-demand basis (often referred to as the ‘Amazon’ effect). You might say, that’s all very well for younger learners, but how about our older demographic? We know that our lives are getting busier and our concentration spans are getting shorter, no matter our age or status. Plus, it’s an easy excuse for us all to make….
Creating content can be a bit daunting at first, especially if you are relying on traditional delivery methods such as classroom training and off the shelf e-learning. However, when done right, short videos can be engaging and inspiring. Having learners share content with others can help you find, and saturate, an audience within minutes.
Here are my top 5 tips to get started;
What do you do once its created?
One of the most important decisions you’ll make is the timing of when your content is available. Too early and you could risk filling employees’ heads with stuff they don’t need, too late and they miss the window of opportunity to do something with it.
“Making content available ‘just in time’ creates anticipation, views, and most importantly encourages the application of learning, skills, and therefore (if you’ve got it right) it translates in to business results” - Erica Farmer, Founder and Director, Welcome Two
You can do this by reviewing your business plan and identifying your key trigger points, which are the best times for you to release learning content to maximise uptake. This might be prior to an exam window (to drive pass rates), before the release of a new product or service (when you need your trainers to promote or sell) or to advertise a larger intervention or proramme (which requires engagement and attendance). The host it somewhere which doesn’t require multiple clicks or various passwords to access, and let it live on the world!
But what about the knowledge check?
If like me, you have worked with stakeholders who are only interested in the compliance factor, this can be a difficult one to navigate. However, the challenge back is more of one which asks, what value does the knowledge check actually bring? Does a list of questions at the end of an e-learning module really tell you that your learners can now undertake the skill or work needed? Most probably not. By creating video content which is engaging, quick to view and available at the right time, it is far more likely to inspire your employees to do what is required.
If you’re still unsure my counsel would be, have a go and create your first video. Opensource or suitably priced software such as Audacity and Cyberlink (other software is available, it’s all down to preference) provide a huge amount of guidance and tutorials. Websites such as Purple Planet provide lots of options around royalty free music, so what have you got to lose? Your first attempt might not be perfect, but it gives you a benchmark to progress!
Welcome Two specialises in 2-minute training videos, webinars and consultancy, and has been born from 20 years of designing and delivering learning and development in both large and small organisations. After the revelation, that as learning professionals we like to fill learning interventions with the ‘look what I can do’ methodology, we can lose sight of the goal, and are often guilty of filling employees heads with stuff they don’t need. By delivering the right training at the right time, we can empower learners to own their learning, drive their performance, and maximise your business success.
https://www.socialbakers.com/blog/1984-videos-under-two-minutes-generate-the-most-youtube-views
