Over the last decade, and especially since 2020, the demand for online learning has increased significantly. Online education tools and resources have become widespread, and schools and other educational institutions now use them as an essential part of their courses. One of the major drivers behind the popularity of online learning is e-learning videos.
In this article, we explore the advantages of video-based learning and provide tips for creating effective e-learning videos and courses.
Nothing speaks as clearly as the numbers. According to research by Cengage and Bay View Analytics, 92% of colleges across the U.S. have changed their strategies to better meet educational needs by offering more online and hybrid courses. This means that e-learning is more popular than ever. Furthermore, with the emergence of e-learning content localization service providers, it has become much easier to adapt educational materials to various languages and cultural contexts.
What does it tell us? It’s clear, the trend of incorporating video-based components into traditional education will continue to grow. So, if you’re considering adopting e-learning in your school or company, now is the perfect time to do so.
Understanding Video-Based Learning
As the name gives away, video-based learning uses videos as a medium to deliver educational content to learners. These videos can be either standalone educational materials or part of lengthy e-learning courses. They come in various formats and styles, including:
- Animations
- Pre-recorded lectures with graphic overlays
- Screencasts
- Demonstration videos
- Interactive videos
- Tutorial videos
- Interviews and expert talks
- Virtual tours and simulations
Why Is Video So Suitable for E-Learning?
Educational videos have proven to be efficient for traditional facilities like schools and universities, but also corporate training programs and onboarding materials. But, why are they so effective?
The simple answer is that educational videos can bring any material to life, making it easier to understand and remember. Videos spark students’ imaginations and keep them interested in the subject. Plus, they can cater to different learning styles and free up valuable time for teachers. Instead of spending all their energy organizing content, with e-learning videos in their toolkit teachers can focus on what they do best; guiding and inspiring students.
Let’s take a more in-depth look at how video-based e-learning can transform education.
How Video-Based Learning Can Transform Education
Improving the Organization of Educational Content
Video-based e-learning excels in its ability to organize educational material effectively. Compared to other methods, it allows for course content to be more digestible by breaking it into smaller video sections. This makes complex topics easier to understand and helps students retain information.
Educators can design video courses with a logical structure. This structure can also be adaptable to individual needs. Students can skip modules they already understand and revisit them easily later without feeling lost. To facilitate this, each video section can include a clear and concise summary at the end, reinforcing key points and aiding comprehension.
Video Fosters Active Learning
Beyond organization, video-based e-learning offers another key benefit; it actively engages students in the learning process. Studies have shown that the tools and techniques available within video e-learning platforms can significantly enhance cognitive activity and the overall learning experience.
Unlike passive reading from textbooks, videos can be supplemented with interactive elements like quizzes, polls, and discussion prompts embedded at the end of modules. These encourage active participation and critical thinking, leading to a deeper understanding of the subject matter.
Breaking Down Barrier Between Teachers and Students
The traditional education system uses one particular duality – teacher/student. This can be an issue. Many students feel uncomfortable asking questions in class. This translates to a significant amount of “missed knowledge” and can create a snowball effect of pressure and confusion for students. In some cases, the perceived effort required to catch up leads them to abandon the course entirely.
While video-based e-learning offers many advantages, a key strength lies in its ability to empower students through self-paced learning. E-learning videos allow us to pause, rewind, and re-watch sections as needed to ensure complete comprehension. This aids the memorization process and is a lot more effective for some students.
Learning Anytime, Anywhere
One of the most transformative aspects of video-based e-learning is its ability to deliver knowledge “on-the-go.” In comparison to traditional classroom learning, online video lectures and educational materials are readily accessible everywhere. You can study on the commute, in the coffee shop, or at home.
Videos Can Be Repurposed
The reusability of e-learning videos makes the list of its advantages even more powerful. Once a high-quality video is created, it becomes a valuable and enduring resource. It can be used repeatedly across different classes, semesters, or even years. This saves instructors significant time and effort in preparing the lectures again and again.
How to Create Great E-learning Videos?
To really extract the maximum benefits from e-learning videos, it’s important to make high-quality, evergreen content. So, how do we do this?
Enhance Clarity with Navigational/Signaling Aids
For complex subjects, often a hallmark of e-learning, ensuring clear comprehension is vital. Visual aids can be different; you can add on-screen text (that complements the voiceover narration), animated characters or mascots (to add a more personalized touch to the learning process), and highlight key terms or concepts through color changes (to draw a viewer’s attention).
Make Short Videos
Videos are supposed to help students stay focused, instead of overwhelming them with information. Consequently, you should try to keep videos under 5–6 minutes long. The amount of videos you place in a course is up to you. For better information organization, each video should focus on a single subject.
Understand the Concept of Cognitive Load
Cognitive load refers to the amount of information our working memory can handle at once. It’s crucial to consider this when creating e-learning videos. The cognitive load consists of three things:
- Intrinsic Load: This is the inherent difficulty of the subject matter. It’s determined by the complexity of the topic itself.
- Extraneous Load: This is the unnecessary information that can clutter the learning experience (e.g., irrelevant visuals, confusing layout).
- Germane Load: This is the mental effort needed to process new information and integrate it into long-term memory.
Try to work with all three components. Any unnecessary information that can clutter the learning experience should be left out.
Foster Interaction
Active learning is the most important thing in education. It’s not just about passively watching videos, but creating an environment that invites students to actively engage with the content.
Most people will tell you that true understanding comes not from simply receiving information, but from processing and applying it. Adding more interactive elements like quizzes, assessments, and short tests directly within the videos can provide space for immediate feedback and gauge student understanding.
What Are Some Video-Based Learning Trends Right Now?
The latest advancements in AI technology offer a wide range of possibilities for e-learning content creation. These tools can accelerate the process of developing draft scripts for educational videos.
By automating routine tasks like basic script structure generation, AI frees up valuable time for you to focus on the critical aspects – checking content accuracy, depth, and effective knowledge delivery. This can lead to a significantly faster scriptwriting process and higher-quality content.
Moreover, with tools like D-ID or Synthesia, you can create a digital avatar of a teacher and generate a video using their voice. This can translate into cutting production costs by 4–5 times. From any point of view, this is just a major budget saver.
What does this all mean? Teachers and professors no longer need to spend hours on camera, especially if they’re uncomfortable with it. With new technology the speed of video creation can skyrocket, making it possible to create tens or hundreds of hours of content within a month. That’s a lot of learning materials!
Conclusion
What are the key insights that we should take from this? Firstly, e-learning videos can boost engagement and focus on online courses, fostering active participation. They also offer flexibility, letting students access content anywhere, anytime. Lastly, it’s cost-effective. You can reuse one video many times and for different purposes. So, once an e-learning video is created it can become a tool that can be used across a multitude of educational settings. What’s not to like?!
James has been helping people teach English abroad for over twelve years. He’s traveled to over 30 countries, lived in 3, and taught English in Chile and online.
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