One of the biggest challenges facing L&D departments is rolling out innovative, engaging and compelling training programs to their time-poor learners. Today’s Modern Learner demands high-impact learning with a minimal time investment. Creating effective video-based learning can set your corporate learning strategy apart and encourage your employees to take charge of their learning.

Video-based learning is rapidly gathering momentum to become the linchpin of corporate training programs. This flexible training approach helps companies adapt to changes in the way we work.

The Harvard Business Review identifies this style of learning as a quick and efficient way to train freelance workers, who work to more flexible timetables than long-term employees.

What is video-based learning?

This is the term that is used to describe the knowledge or skills transfer that is achieved through the use of short, engaging and informative videos.

It means using short micro-videos to disseminate knowledge. Learners respond best to multimodal flipped classroom blended training where the use of videos is an important component in the learning process.

Why roll out a video-based learning strategy?

Corporate training programs need to meet certain criteria to stand a chance of engaging their learners with their content, and video-based learning ticks many of those boxes.

1. It makes learning more accessible

Who doesn’t have their device on them 24/7?

If we are to embrace our dependence on this technology, video-based learning that is easily accessible via smartphones, is a win-win for both L&D and learners as it removes the logistical challenges of putting learners and trainers into the same room at the same time.

Training content needs to be accessible at any time, from any place, on any device. Today’s learners expect real-time learning experiences with immediate and measurable results.

2. It harnesses microlearning

Video-based learning harnesses the key principles behind microlearning and bite-sized learning. These pedagogical essentials continue to dominate theory on maximizing retention and learning efficacy and should have a significant impact on shaping policy for corporate training programs.

Short 2 to 3-minute videos with an enthusiastic, expert presenter using their voice to maximize engagement and awake passion for their subject combined with simple text on screen are extremely effective learning tools.

Further reading

3. It is cost-effective

Training budgets are under constant pressure.

A push towards more innovative, interactive and engaging training, has led to more and more organizations choosing video-based training as the most economical medium for staff development plans.

Video-based learning can reduce the costs of renting training rooms and instructors. Investment and creation of learning resources that meet current needs can often be rolled out for future onboarding.

4. It helps to standardize training content

L&D are often asked to bring a more global approach to their training programs.

Many organizations require greater consistency from their training materials and need to be able to use learning content across the board. Using multiple instructors sourced through local training partners can mean varied results.

Quality in training is non-negotiable and video-based learning can be as effective if not more effective as face to face training in demonstrating procedures, delivering theory and sharing workplace scenarios.

Video-based learning also has multiple benefits for the learner:

5. It enriches the learning experience

Videos are a fundamental learning tool for an enriched eLearning experience. The multi-sensory nature of video appeals to learners of diverse abilities. All video content should use a blend of learning styles to meet the needs of all sorts of learners.

When learners use multiple senses to understand concepts and ideas, there are more cognitive connections; this means that when the learner needs to retrieve the information from memory, they can access it faster and more easily.

 Auditory learners learn better through listening. Visual learners show higher retention rates if ideas, concepts, procedures are associated with images, and tactile kinaesthetic learners prefer learning through doing.

6. It helps learners to absorb information

All video-based learning content should be short, punchy and of value.

Employees’ attention spans are getting shorter and shorter as they struggle to process information through multiple channels simultaneously. Where video-based learning wins out against more traditional learning, is its ability to condense the knowledge transfer into bite-sized learning nuggets.

One key learning objective could be demonstrating a certain skill or technique. Video is an ideal medium for learning complex skills because it exposes learners to problems, equipment, and events that cannot be easily demonstrated or explained through text-based learning.

It can clearly demonstrate a real-life scenario and build in real-time questions.

Further reading

7. It empowers your learners

If you want learners to engage with your training, you need to make sure that the content is relevant to your sector or industry.

As you design your training program, you must ensure that each video has a clear objective and a strong element of ‘how to’ as the underlying principle.

The overarching goal of a learning strategy is to empower employees to take charge of their own learning.

If you build an interactive video library where learners can reach out and choose the content that applies to them, you’re more likely to get learners to invest time in their training.

Videos should provoke learners to consider what they are going to learn, why they need it and how they are going to apply it in their work. Video-based learning can incorporate asking key questions at the appropriate moment that reflect real-life scenarios.

8. It can be 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 maximize their time with the instructor. Videos will consolidate their learning by making short summaries of key points.

9. It can increase knowledge retention

There are multiple studies supporting the theory that learners are likely to remember significantly more from video content than purely textual content

Every learner has their own tricks for ensuring that new knowledge is transferred from their short-term memory to their long-term memory. Video-based learning supports this process by allowing the learner to consume the learning at their own pace.

They can pause or rewind the video if they are struggling to internalize key concepts until they feel they have committed the key takeaways to memory. Learners can and should come back to the video after set periods of time to reinforce their newly acquired knowledge.