Posted by Editor’s Note: This blog post has been updated in March 2022.
The benefits of a Video-based learning strategy or video-based learning solutions are well documented and have become a common L&D practice across enterprises and industries. It is extensively versatile and offers a viable learning solution for a variety of learning challenges at the workplace.
In this blog post, we make the case for implementing an interactive video-based learning strategy for greater engagement, knowledge retention, and aid in easy application.
Table of Contents
What is Interactive Video-based Learning?
Interactive video-based learning comprises videos that foster interaction with the learners. Learner engagement is thus a combination of passive and participatory. They can range from clicking on a hotspot to choosing to branch out and everything in between like scrolling, hovering, dragging, and gesturing
What are the Benefits of Deploying an Interactive Video Learning Strategy?
It is all about “Engagement.” Interactive videos provide experiential and immersive learning as the learner can control and direct his learning. Learners become naturally more involved as it offers comprehensive learning experiences, as compared to linear, ‘watch-only’ videos. Interactive videos allow for the skillful use of narratives and characters, drawing the learner into the experience that fosters engagement and knowledge retention. Additionally, an interactive video learning strategy assists by:
- Creating customized learning paths for specific outcomes, and establishing a healthy connect with learners
- Encourages interactions to explore or reinforce learning through content, quiz, hotspot, polls, and more
- Appeals to all learner profiles
- Explores avenues or provides safe practice environments
- Analyze learning progression.
What are the Ideal Tools for Deployment of the Interactive Video Learning Strategy?
When properly deployed, interactive videos can elevate your eLearning strategy. Although video learning offers a host of advantages, there are a few disadvantages too. The “Forgetting Curve,” attention span, limitations with measurement, to name a few. It is to offset these concerns that L&D experts have developed the interactive video learning strategy. Some of the tools and resources that have been deployed over the years and have improved metrics are
- Gamification or gamified elements in learning
- Real-life scenario-based learning
- Microlearning
- Story-based learning with interactivities help learners explore/drive the plot
- Decision-making through assessments and branching scenarios
- Interspersed interactive elements like quizzes and polls
- Use of emerging technologies (augmented reality and virtual reality) in learning modules.
All the above certainly transform learning and communication from a passive, one-way transmission to an exchange of information. Learners actively participate in the learning, thus kindling curiosity and sustaining a deeper engagement with the content.
What are the Key Aspects to Keep in Mind or What are the Barriers for Effective Implementation of Interactive Video Learning?
Developing interactive videos should be driven by some key objectives. As custodians of learning and development, the following areas must be in focus:
1. The Quality and Purpose of Training Content
If the content is built for deep learning of facts or concepts, an interactive video may not fetch the desired results. Having said that, learning can be reinforced with videos highlighting the implementation of the concept or philosophy with user participation. Take, for example, the Vision and Mission statements of an organization. While these must be taught as passive, text-based learning, interactive videos that highlight real-world scenarios for implementation can ensure active participation from the learner. Engagement along with deeper learning experiences is warranted. It would be a similar positive experience while teaching corporate law. While the laws must be presented as is and must be memorized, specific instances of how they play out in corporate life with the learner’s participation will enable a richer experience and a one that will sustain.
2. Clearly Define Goals and Objectives
Identify the objective of creating the interactive video learning module. Is it to enable the learner to gain theoretical knowledge of the subject or to experience its practical aspects or to problem solve, build a system, acquire a specific skill, acquaint the user with new policies, or troubleshoot a product? While the list of objectives can be exhaustive, explore the purpose as a first step, and then go about achieving the objective through the interactive video.
3. Learner’s Takeaway
Must the learner simply understand or apply or analyze learning? If it is the first level – understand – then an interactive video-based approach may be over-the-top. If it is any of the advanced levels, then an interactive video-based approach will be the right fit.
Ensure your video-based learning solutions are crisp, succinct, and interesting. Long and boring videos packed with dense information tempt the learners to go for the “Pause” or “Stop” button. Avoid presenting content as mere facts and figures. Use that to arouse curiosity and build on it. Create a storyline with characters, scenarios, role-plays, decisions, consequences, and closure. At the end of the interactive video learning module, the learner should have achieved a key learning takeaway.
When and Where to Deploy Interactive Video-based Learning?
The applications of interactive video learning are extensive. Some of the possibilities are listed here:
- Blended Learning: Interactive videos can be a tremendous support to an Instructor-led Training strategy. Use them to present role plays, foster decision making, scenario-based assessments, all of which can further reinforce learning.
- Just-in-Time Learning or Pull Learning: Deploy interactive video-based learning solutions as bite-sized nuggets of information on demand. This could range from how to start an engine to how to handle an irate customer – essentially any performance support interventions can be easily and quickly developed as nuggets and made available on demand.
- Formal Corporate Training: An entire range of essential corporate training programs, from Induction, Compliance, Sales, Product, Service, and more can be developed using interactive videos, to make the learning experience truly memorable and easy to retain and recall.
Learning Effectiveness of Interactive Video-based eLearning
Studies from as early as 2005 showed the way forward for interactive video-based eLearning.
“Interactive video in an e-learning system allows proactive and random access to video content. Our empirical study examined the influence of interactive video on learning outcome and learner satisfaction in e-learning environments. Four different settings were studied: three were e-learning environments—with interactive video, with non-interactive video, and without video. The fourth was the traditional classroom environment. Results of the experiment showed that the value of video for learning effectiveness was contingent upon the provision of interactivity. Students in the e-learning environment that provided interactive video achieved significantly better learning performance and a higher level of learner satisfaction than those in other settings. However, students who used the e-learning environment that provided non-interactive video did not improve either. The findings suggest that it may be important to integrate interactive instructional video into e-learning systems.”
This is further corroborated in 2019: “Interactive videos have many educational benefits. Several studies have demonstrated that interactive videos can increase students’ motivation, satisfaction, and also performance in learning. Video interactivity is considered flexible, motivating, and entertaining. Interactive videos facilitate differentiated and personalized learning since they allow learners to act independently, follow their path, and maintain their pace. They increase learners’ satisfaction over the educational process and transform passive watchers into active learners.”
In the context of corporate training, using interactive videos has been plagued by the inability to track user interactions. However, this problem can be easily overcome with the integration of interactive videos with Learning Experience Platforms. An LXP makes it possible to collect data on learner choices and other key information that can help administrators build better training programs.
To understand how Origin Learning can help develop effective training programs using the interactive video-based learning strategy, do drop an email to info@originlearning.com .