[Intern Insight] eLearning & Videos: It's Really Happening

You know, I am quite new to this term called ‘blog’. I’ve heard of it sure, but never actually wrote one. When I Googled: “how to write a blog” several things popped up, like ‘start with a topic and working title’. Ha, I already forgot that step. This is going well. I’ll be honest with you, I have no clue exactly what I’m doing right now. I studied hospitality management, and here I am, creating videos for an eLearning app for the frontline employees in the retail industry! Yeah, I hear you think: ‘How did she end up doing that?” Yes, good question. I often ask it myself actually.

The funny thing is: it’s super interesting.

It’s like I turned from a hospitality student into a screenwriter and director without any experience. Yeah, ‘just do it’ (as Nike says). It doesn’t matter if you like or if you’ve done it before; no, it’s more diving into the deep end and knowing you can swim. And hey, that is okay! I mean, this is still an internship and it comes with the opportunity to learn new things.

And let me tell you: I am learning new things.

Not sure if there is a future for me as the next ‘Steven Spielberg’ but I guess you never know where life takes you.

That’s the funny thing about life, it can go either way. But what do I know about life? I am only 21, this is hopefully not even on a quarter yet of what is still to come.

But let’s get serious here.

What’s the big deal about learning with videos?

There are many benefits in using videos in educational activities. There even have been multiple studies about this. This is not a big shocker, since there are basically studies about everything, but still. Here are some highlights:

Shepard and Cooper (1982) and Mayer and Gallini (1990) connected visual clues, memory processes, and knowledge retention. Later, Allam (2006) noticed that combining sound and imagery together to discuss a certain topic generating deeper engagement and insights. [Source]

Fascinating right? Over 20 years ago, people recognized the connection between video and learning and yet it still took years for eLearning to actually become a trend, and then a norm. Why did it take so long? But that’s a topic for another time perhaps.

The thing is, this ‘learning with videos’ thing really is happening. There are more than 1 billion active users on YouTube, every minute nearly 400 hours worth of video content is being uploaded to this platform alone. Statistics even show that per mobile session the average time spent on YouTube is 40 minutes. The learning industry has no choice but to adapt to this method of learning via videos. Enter eLearning!

So what are the benefits of using videos for learning?

First of all, videos help keep people engaged with the subject. I mean, speaking as a student, it is much more fun to watch a video than to simply turn a page in a book. Also, videos are visual, and so very demonstration-friendly. For example, explaining a tricky subject is easier with a video than with a written explanation. Try writing down the instructions to how to tie your shoelaces and tell me it’s not easier to watch a video about it instead! It also helps that videos capture attention quickly. Overall they improve the whole learning experience by inviting learners to think and analyze what they just saw, making knowledge easier to absorb and retain.

Here some more benefits:

Improved Comprehension

When you explain something in a classroom, people will nod to indicate their understanding. That means they’ve understood you completely right? Not necessarily! They may not retain the information when they leave the room, and maybe they just couldn’t be bothered to raise their hand to ask for clarification. Chances are when they get home, they may realize a gap between their retained knowledge and the homework they’ve got to do.

Increased Retention

Do you remember sitting in class with the teacher just going on and on about the same subject? And then when class finished you just went out and thought: “What did he just say?” That is an information overload. Our brains can only handle so much at a time. During such a long informative class, you do not have the time to process all the information and are likely to forget most of it.

Enter videos and eLearning. People can watch videos at their own pace, for starters. They can also choose when and where to watch them – at home for example. They can pause it and return to it later if they missed the key points. This way, they not only gain a better understanding but are better able to retain the information being thrown at them. Essentially, videos empower the learner to actually learn.

Concluding thoughts?

Well, if you really want to obtain a more meaningful, immersive and better learning experience for anything. You should definitely consider using videos to get there.

This post is brought to you by one of AQ’s Undergraduates, Paula van Staalduinen. As part of our internship programs undergraduates and classic interns are encouraged to take part in company culture. Paula’s primary project focuses on training programs and eLearning and how best to adapt this to industries under pressure.