Creating great eLearning videos is a true art. An eLearning video is one of the most common tools used to help educate students, consumers, and anyone trying to learn something. Given the uncertainty of the times, these videos are probably needed now more than ever. It’s important to know how to create an eLearning video that can keep people’s attention and get the lesson across well. Here are some key tips you can use to create a quality eLearning video.
1. Establish the foundation of the video
Similar to how a building needs a foundation to be built properly, an eLearning video also needs one too. The foundation of your eLearning video consists of putting together a script and developing a storyboard. If you’ve never heard of a storyboard before, it’s a set of squares with illustrations that shows how your video will unfold. Using a storyboard will keep you organized in mapping out the audio and video of each scene.
2. Write a story
People tend to remember stories, which is why they’re often used as a part of the learning process. Your story can involve a variety of characters performing actions, or just one character as the central focus. The most important thing when putting it together is following the traditional story arc formula. The traditional story arc can help attain and retain the attention of the viewer. The three parts of the formula include the beginning, the conflict/climax in the middle, and the conflict resolution at the end. Here’s how this would work in a product video. The product would be introduced to the audience in the beginning, a difficult problem to solve would be in the middle, and the problem being resolved by the product would be the end of the video.
3. Set a proper video length
Quick explainer videos can be about 60 to 90 seconds long. If you’re making something longer, the ideal amount of time is around seven to nine minutes. In a study conducted by the University of Rochester, researchers observed the average amount of time students spend viewing videos. In the conclusion of the study, it was discovered that students watched the most amount of video content when the length of the video was nine minutes or less. Less of the video content was watched when videos were over 11 minutes long. It’s even less when the videos are 15 to 40 minutes long. Students only watched three minutes of the video or less. All of this to say, make sure you tailor your script and video to last about seven to nine minutes to get the most watch time out of your eLearning videos.
4. Use great visuals
Another part of an effective eLearning video is creating good visuals. It’s best to have your videos showcase what you’ll be trying to explain to the audience. Try to avoid static images if possible and instead use the video space to demonstrate how something works. You can do demonstrations on how to use certain products, services, or even how to conduct oneself in a specific situation.
5. Get strategic with your video use
There’s no one set formula you have to stick to. You can choose to mix things up to help keep your audience focused on what they’re learning. If you’re a teacher planning to send text documents to students, you can insert short videos to break up your text and also emphasize certain points. Another idea is you could instantly grab your student’s attention by having a video at the beginning of a lesson. Additionally, you could also choose to put a video at the end of your document to summarize the lesson that was learned.
6. Make sure the audio is good quality
An eLearning video won’t be any good if the audio is difficult or distracting for people to listen to. Two things will factor into making the audio quality good. The first factor is recording quality. It needs to be clear, free of background noise, and crisp. In addition to the recording audio being done properly, another important factor is hiring a professional voiceover artist. A professional voiceover artist knows how to narrate a video in a way that sounds nice and keeps the audience engaged. You shouldn’t try to save money by using someone with no experience from your office, because you’ll likely end up having to re-do it later.
Using an experienced voiceover artist will help ensure you only have to make the video one time. E-learning requires your audience to listen, so it’s necessary that the voice artist you hire has a pleasant, likeable, and trustworthy voice. Try to find a voiceover artist that relates to your target audience. If you have an eLearning video that’s geared towards young women, finding a young female voiceover artist will probably be most relatable. Additionally, if the content being taught in your eLearning video is technical or medical, hire someone that has a college education and a big vocabulary. Finally, be sure to avoid voices that have excessive breathiness or any other quality that might be distracting.
An eLearning video needs to sound clear and have engaging visuals. A good story will also make the content simple and easy to remember. By following all of these tips, you can create an eLearning video that can capture the attention of your audience, and really help them to learn more. So there you have it, the top tips for creating great eLearning videos!
Top Tips for Creating Great Elearning Videos by Kate Marin
