Video
Video is really starting to become the “go to” for delivering learning content. Its getting easier and quicker to create video content especially now that mobile phones can record high quality video content. There are many considerations when undertaking the creation of video content and we will discuss them here.
Effective Learning Videos Start With Purpose (10th November 2022)
“Video production can be a powerful tool for learning designers, but only if used thoughtfully and with clear intention. Creating a video that achieves your desired results takes careful planning and design, and that starts with a clearly defined purpose.”
eLI is a leading publishing platform that delivers inspiring, industry-specific content to eLearning professionals.
Preparing your Video
Like all content that we have discussed previously, it’s a good idea to have at least a script and also a storyboard. This way, everyone involved has a good idea as to what to expect from the filming and production.
TechSmith make Camtasia and Snagit amongst other tools
Planning and Preparing your video
This is a copy of the presentation I gave at iDesign X in February 2020 talking about video.
There are real examples of videos that have been used in real training environments.
How Do I Produce Video for My eLearning Courses? A DIY Guide
From SH!FT Learning
Video Compression
When creating video we need to be mindful of our users viewing the videos. How good is their internet connection? Are they watching on a small device? When video is exported from video editing software, there are usually options to “compress” the video, which is essentially a way of reducing the file size of the video. This is also called “encoding” (from Wikipedia) the video. This can also impact the video quality. If there is no text, or video that needs to be high definition, then we can apply more compression. This will be extremely important if we need to communicate requirements to a 3rd party video person.
Know the differences between lossy and lossless video compression formats
Video Hosting
We need to give some serious thought to where we will host our video content. We have plenty of options available, like YouTube, Vimeo, and now even Microsoft has Stream available through Office 365. Hosting our video content on a dedicated video hosting platform can take the pressure of other systems that may not be able to handle the file size and the actual delivery of video content.
If your organisation uses Microsoft 365, then you may have access to Stream already.
Interactive Video
Although using videos for training has been an established practice for several years, they fall short when the run lengths are long, as it gets difficult to retain the learner’s attention till the end. The passivity or lack of engagement becomes a drawback when cognition levels are higher and the learners are required to analyze and apply the learning. This is where interactive video could possibly come in. Here are some example of interactive video.
A great Example of using interactive video (Chrome browser recommended)
From H5P, with an example
Selfie Videos
Selfie videos are a quick and effective way of getting your thoughts and ideas out there. They could also be handy when testing ideas. Using basic approaches like a tripod to keep the camera steady and ensure the lighting is adequate, a selfie video could go along way.
From Kineo. A selfie video is a casual video that focuses on you and your story and that you shoot yourself.