How Can You Use Interactive Videos Effectively In eLearning

How Can You Use Interactive Videos In eLearning Effectively
iStock/Onfokus
Summary: While usage of videos in online training is an established practice, it is interactive video that is seen as the next big thing for eLearning and mobile learning. In this article, I outline how you can use interactive videos effectively in eLearning.

Interactive Videos In eLearning: The Next Big Thing Has Many Uses And Benefits

Before I highlight how can you use interactive videos effectively in eLearning, let us look at the key differences between videos and Interactive videos. We also look at the key benefits that an eLearning approach based on interactive videos provides.

Then I showcase how you can use interactive videos effectively in eLearning (both for formal and informal learning). This is not all, I also provide pointers on how you can further enhance the impact of interactive video-based learning.

What Differentiates An Interactive Video From A Classic Video?

Classic or traditional videos although very engaging and in widespread use, do not offer any control to the learner (beyond start, stop and pause).

While this does not impact the expected gain from short videos, it becomes a serious shortcoming when:

  • The run lengths of the videos are long.
  • You need to checkpoint the learner’s assimilation.

This is exactly where the next avatar of videos for eLearning or interactive videos fit in. They are designed to provide learning interactions that are similar to the interactions in an eLearning course.

With This Approach:

  • You can use the videos to be longer length (aligned to the learning outcomes) but have adequate interactions to engage the learner.
  • You can also checkpoint the learning assimilation through quizzes and assessments.
  • You can allow learners to progress through multiple paths (based on choices at crucial decision points) by providing branching options.
  • The output of this approach is SCORM compatible enabling you to track the learner’s progress.

What Are The Key Gains As You Opt For Interactive Videos?

The key advantages are:

  1. Studies confirm that an Interactive video has 10 times the impact of a traditional video.
  2. The moment you remove passive viewing (associated with traditional videos) and replace it with meaningful learning interactions and assessments, (associated with interactive videos) you will see a higher engagement quotient with your learners.
  3. You can validate if the learning mandate is met (expected takeaways as per the required cognition level). Wide-ranging options of formative assessments or Check Your Knowledge, as well as Summative assessments, enable you to achieve this.
  4. Appeals to all profiles of learners.
  5. You can multiply the impact of the learning experience. You can enhance the impact of your training delivery by combining interactive videos with other techniques like gamification and Microlearning.

How Can Interactive Videos Be Used For Various Corporate Training Needs?

Most organizations use the 70-20-10 model of learning that factors for formal, informal and on the job training.

In line with this, the Interactive Videos can be used to offer:

  1. Formal training: Interactive videos are a great fit for compliance, soft-skills and professional skills trainings. They are equally high impact approach for specific trainings like sales training, product training and supporting or driving change management programs.
  2. As Performance Support Tools or job aids to support formal training: Interactive Video-based nuggets can be part of the learning path that provides support to the learners post the formal training program. They can be used to reinforce primary training or be designed to practice certain concepts and enable for an effective application of the learning on the job.
  3. To support Instructor-Led Training: With increasing digitization of ILT sessions to a more blended approach, you can use the interactive video-based nuggets to provide practice sessions (role plays or complex decision-making simulations). They can also be used to offer real-life scenario-based assessments.

What More Can Be Achieved By Integrating Interactive Videos In Your Learning Strategy?

This is limited by your imagination. Here are a few ideas that you can use:

  1. Use them as microlearning nuggets
  2. Offer them as a learning path
  3. Design them to offer formal training as well as for Performance Support (job aids)
  4. Integrate other interesting components like gamification
  5. Offer personalization options (from a repository of assets)

I hope this article provides good insight on the benefits of using interactive videos for eLearning. You can use them to enhance the impact of most of your corporate training needs.

In case you have any specific queries, do contact us or leave a comment below.

Read More:

Originally published at www.eidesign.net.