A lot of people still have a tough time to accept video-based learning as an effective and engaging learning tool. We have seen many myths in the learning and development industry and using video-based learning is no exception. The most common myths are; video-based learning is too costly, too complicated, and abusive to classrooms and workplaces. Yet, any of these myths is not necessarily true. Most of us love watching videos. Around 1 billion hours of videos[1] are seen daily on YouTube. Watching online videos either at home or workplace or classroom, can be informative, engaging, emotional, entertaining and inspiring at the same time. And as many businesses have recognized, video-based learning can also lead to better employee engagement at the workplace. It’s like using the YouTube Model and adapting it to the company’s training and development needs, so that employees learn at work the way they learn naturally outside the workplace.
The Video-based Learning Scenario
Since last decade, the online video-based learning has boomed to an impressive extent. From how to tie a shoe lace perfectly to create complex charts in the Excel spreadsheet, you will find the video of the same on the YouTube and other video streaming platforms. YouTube has more than 135 million “how-to” video tutorials[2]. After Google, YouTube has become the world’s second biggest search-engine, which clearly shows how video has become a concrete part of our everyday learning.
An increasing number of people are embracing it, as can be seen through a rapid growth in the use of platforms like Lynda and Udemy. The research conducted by Towards Maturity[3] states that around 70% of the businesses around the world are using best practice videos as a part of their blending learning approach. However, many people in online learning and development community, still question video-based learning, cite issues related to the technology, pedagogy and the costs involved. Based on our research reading various articles that raise questions on video-based learning and opinions of the businesses who are using it more, we have discovered the following most common myths around video-based learning.
Myth No.1: Video-based learning is passive & replacing teachers & trainers
Hardly. The video-based learning doesn’t intend to replace instructors, trainers and teachers, but seeks to offer a more powerful, engaging and interesting tool to enhance learning experience. Videos are powerful media form that help learners grasp content and ideas by letting them interact with tricky and complex concepts that would otherwise seem abstract.
Secondly, video-based learning is not necessarily passive as the active learning is ensured via range of content styles provision including animation, virtual environments, and interactive videos. By requiring the learners to engage through knowledge checks, scenario-based video learning and drag and drop tests, video learning is no more a passive learning.
Myth No. 2: Video-based Learning is Expensive
It doesn’t have to be. For instance, the cost of joining a pilot scheme like Clear Lessons begins at only £5k for 1,000 employees, with complete access to over 500 leadership videos. It’s a pretty good and economical deal. Moreover, the equipment is now far more accessible as well as the editing software. Video editing tools such as iMovie, Instagram, or Vine, are very easy to use and these are all free of cost. You can even use live broadcasting via Periscope that is available for mobile devices. For the bespoke content generation, there are now thousands of global content developers who offer businesses with the bespoke video-based learning content for the same cost of production as the graphics/text content.
Myth No. 3: Video-based Learning is Complicated
It is not. Ask any video supplier or developer about the customer service. All video content developers offer on-going technical support to help their corporate clients embed effective, free-of-bugs, and uninterrupted video-based learning into a company culture. Moreover, videos are so common that most of us can easily troubleshoot the basic problems.
Myth No. 4: Video-based Learning is not Personalized learning
This myth is in terms of learning pace. Critics say that different people have different learning pace, but one cannot control the pace of the video-based learning. It could have been true if there are no Stop, Pause, & Rewind buttons. One can go back to certain points in the videos and replay repeatedly till full understanding is gained.
As per one of the research conducted, it was revealed that 90% of the information grasped by brain is visual, while visuals are processed by brain 60,000 times faster than the text[4]. Also, Forrester’s Reports states that a minute of video is worth 1.8 million words[5].
Myth No. 5: Video-based Learning Can be Misused
Many organizations think that using video-based learning would encourage people to watch videos all day. This hardly happens. Conversely, getting employees to engage with eLearning and take responsibility for their training and development, is a greater challenge. Providing learning in video format employees preferred, is a good start, especially if they can easily access the content via their mobile devices. Keep videos brief and succinct, not more than 3 minutes long, to help employees solve challenges within workflows. And surely, you should trust your employees.
Surely, interactive video-based learning content is not suitable for every learning environment. However, many barriers that were previously existing to using it no longer exit as the economic and technological advancement has helped organizations to better transform the content and use it. Most of the workplaces have already integrated video-based learning in their online learning strategy, recognizing a new world rising characterized by multi-device, bite-size video-based learning.
[1] http://videonitch.com/2017/12/13/36-mind-blowing-youtube-facts-figures-statistics-2017-re-post/
[2] https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/articles/i-want-to-do-micro-moments.html
[3] https://towardsmaturity.org/
[4] https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/33423/19-Reasons-You-Should-Include-Visual-Content-in-Your-Marketing-Data.aspx?utm_campaign=elearningindustry.com&utm_source=%2F4-biggest-myths-video-learning&utm_medium=link
[5] http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/a-minute-of-video-is-worth-18-million-words-according-to-forrester-research-1900666.htm?utm_campaign=elearningindustry.com&utm_source=%2F4-biggest-myths-video-learning&utm_medium=link
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