What Makes a Successful Training Video?
According to research, learners are more inclined to recall new material that is presented in video where they are able to both see and hear the information. (Gunter, et al. 2000; Molen, et al. 2000; Lalley 1998)
This process reinforces information in multiple brain areas which greatly increases the chance that content will be stored in long-term memory. In order to achieve this there are a few things one should consider when making a training video.
Script – be concise and to the point, while being friendly and conversational.
Editing – make sure that all the visuals, titles and voiceovers match. This is one of the main reasons training videos are so powerful and the time spent on editing should be considerably more than the time actually shooting the video.
Instructional Design Principles – while you need the finished product to look good, it isn’t a Hollywood movie. The script must be written in a way that it enhances learning, and achieves learning objectives. Follow instructional design principles when scripting your video to ensure learning takes place.
Scene changes – something new should happen every 5-7 seconds, whether it be different camera perspectives, new scenes, new characters, etc. Keep learners on their toes to stay engaged.
Linear sequence – remember that it still is a “movie” and it must make sense to the viewer. Information must be given from start to end with no confusion, repetitiveness or in the wrong order.
Training videos are an incredibly effective method of training people quickly and thoroughly. More importantly, they help viewers to retain the information much more than if they were to read the information or even hear it. But they have to be made right. By spring boarding off what makes training videos so great and including these components in you training video, you'll get fantastic training outcomes.
