Utilizing videos in your Learning Management System (LMS) can be an easy and effective way to increase your engagement for your eLearning program while reaping other benefits.  However, these tips should be followed to ensure that those videos don’t detract from the course.

Benefits of Using Videos in eLearning

Improved Engagement

As mentioned above, videos can be more engaging than text-based materials, especially with younger learners now. Much of the content consumed online is in video format, meaning that most learners will be comfortable, if not prefer, videos.

Easier Retainment

The messages and information presented in a video are easier for learners to retain—making videos optimal for learning. About 95% of viewers retain a video’s message compared to 10% in text.

More Accessible

Videos are also very accessible on the go and from mobile devices, making it easier for learners to access that content no matter where they are. On top of this, videos can also be played solely for the audio, turning into more of a podcast, which gives more options.

Very Flexible

The content of a video can represent pretty much any topic—making it a very adaptable format. Whether it be safety, laws and regulations, interviews, demonstrations, onboarding, or case studies. They are also very effective at storytelling, making them even more potentially impactful.

Controllable Personalization

Learners can interact with videos at their pace by using playback options like pausing, rewinding, looping, or slowing down the speed. This allows learners to pull apart the video as much as they need to in an intuitive way where pulling apart text can be obtuse.

Time Saving

While videos can take a little bit to produce, they can present a lot of information quickly and—as shown above—much more efficiently.

The Best Practices for Video Implementation

Keep it Short

Videos can contain a lot of information and anything for too long will naturally lose some viewers’ interest. Learning content should be kept under 10 minutes, but that is the absolute maximum.

Be Clear

This is referenced in the point above; the videos should be clear with the points. It can be easy to include too much extra information in a video so make sure not to obfuscate the video’s meaning.

(Of Course) Use Visuals

 Videos are partly a visual format, so use visuals to benefit the impact of the message. Graphics like text or illustrations will serve to strengthen the point in the learner’s mind—especially when they are used to highlight key moments.

Ensure Quality

Always strive for the highest quality of content possible. Use a good camera, good microphone, or have good mixing and animation. Low quality elements of a video are distracting and, even if the content is amazing, it will be overshadowed by the poor quality.

Make the Content Interactive

Naturally, include the other interactive elements of the LMS into the content of the video. Have quizzes or assignment adjacent (or during) the video.

Videos Are the New Standard

Videos have become the new standard for content online. While there are many technical reasons for this like faster internet standards, the biggest reason is that videos are the fastest way to engage people. The brain can process information much faster in video format than it with text, making it optimal for efficient learning content.

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Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash