Video-based learning is quickly finding itself at the forefront of many corporate training programs as HR and Learning professionals look for innovative new ways to drive learner engagement and learning efficacy. One of the biggest challenges is how to implement an effective video-based learning strategy that enhances your current corporate learning offering.

If this article were to take the form of the video, we would be starting with setting ourselves a clear objective.

After reading this insight, you will be able to:

• Demonstrate why an effective video-based learning strategy should top your priority list
• Draw up a strategy for incorporating videos into your current portfolio
• Assess and evaluate the effectiveness of the videos that you create

Why video-based learning should be a priority for your organization

Invest in your Talent

The capacity for continuous learning, an appetite for deeper knowledge and a willingness to invest time and effort in personal development should be a goal for all your employees.

Building on-the-job, real-time learning into your employees’ competency framework shows sound judgement. It makes perfect sense that by leveraging and developing your current talent base, you stand to benefit from your skilled workforce.

Cut Costs

Training budgets are under constant pressure and a push towards more innovative, interactive and engaging training, has led to more and more organizations deploying effective video-based learning as the most economical and appropriate medium for their staff development plans.

Investment and creation of learning resources that meet current needs can often be rolled out for future onboarding. It brings consistency and coherence to company training materials.

Innovate and Enrich

A fundamental principle of learning is that learning should be viewed as a perk rather than an obligation.

Videos are one of the most fundamental learning tools for an enriched eLearning experience. Videos appeal to learners of diverse abilities and are a comfortable format, using several channels to transfer information.

So why wouldn’t you choose a video-based learning strategy that brings your organization a tangible increase in learner engagement and motivation and an enhanced learning experience?

So how do you deploy an effective video-based strategy?

A fundamental principle of learning is that learning should be viewed as a perk rather than an obligation. This means that a successful rollout depends on video-based training being fun, creative, relevant, easily accessible and interactive.

Here are the top seven strategies for ensuring your video-based learning is successful:

1. Keep it bite-sized

All video-based learning should be short, punchy and of value. The Modern Leaner’s attention span is getting shorter and shorter as they struggle to process information through multiple channels simultaneously.

Learners want to dedicate minimal time and get maximum results from learning.

Research has shown the optimal video length to be six minutes or shorter. Stick to three minutes, and you multiply the possibilities of your video being watched to the end.

Microlearning and bite-sized learning continue to dominate learning theory and are key to maximizing retention. Learners want to dedicate minimal time and get maximum results from learning.

This means condensing the learning, focusing on creating bite-sized learning nuggets. These are more effective as by focusing on one key learning objective, you help your learners remember more. Learners can only apply learning they have remembered, so short chunks of learning are more effective.

Further reading

2. Make it interactive

Embedding videos into an LMS where you can include follow up activities make for a superior learning experience and maximise retention.

Learning strategies must empower a learner to take charge of their own learning. Ask them to think about what they are going to learn, why they need it and how they are going to apply it in their work.

Throw up questions at the appropriate moment that reflect real-life scenarios, what would you do next? Embedding videos into an LMS where you can include follow up activities make for a superior learning experience and maximize retention.

3. Make it engaging and interesting

Effective video-based learning is the key. When done well it can be as effective as an instructor in demonstrating procedures, delivering theory and principles on soft skills training, sharing workplace scenarios, communicating facts, etc.

Mix real-life images with animations, use whiteboard drawings tools, avatars as instructors.

4. Make it relevant

If you want learners to engage with your training videos you need to make sure that they are relevant to your sector or industry. Each video should have a clear objective and a strong element of ‘how to’ as the underlying principle behind creating the learning.

Be concise, every sentence should contribute to answering the ‘how to’ question. If it doesn’t, you should evaluate whether that needs to be in the video. The key messages should be delivered at the beginning and again at the end.

5. Make it easily accessible

Any time, any place and on any device, is your goal. Learners need to be able to choose when they learn, and they need to be able to take their course with them on any device.

6. Make it global

Why make videos local when you can use them to address global employees? If you decide to choose English as the training language, then aim to follow the four maxims of Max Grice, an applied linguist who created the cooperative principle of successful communication.

Any time, any place and on any device, is your goal. Learners need to be able to choose when they learn, and they need to be able to take their course with them on any device.

Make sure that the audio accompanying the video is as clear as possible. If you have a voiceover, think about the clarity of the voice and how it is worded. Use the active voice, rather than the passive; use concrete words, rather than abstract; Avoid long, complicated sentences.

It’s much better to break things down into smaller chunks with a short pause between them. Text should be concise, not giving too much information, or hiding the key message in excessive flowery language.

7. Make it part of your blended, flipped classroom training

If you already have a blended learning strategy in place, use the videos to prepare the learners for their instructor-led sessions, flip that classroom so they maximise their time with the instructor; use the videos to consolidate their learning by making short summaries of key points, filming simulations where they need to make decisions based on what they have just learnt.

Deploying effective video-based learning strategies is critical to engaging your employees with their training program, they transform it into an anytime, any place on any device real-time learning experience with immediate and measurable results.