The What, Why, and How of Video-Based Learning: A Conversation with Shalini Merugu

Video Based Learning - The What, Why, and How

0:06
Hello and welcome to CommLab India's eLearning Champion pod. I'm your host Tanushree and today we will be exploring the exciting world of video-based learning, the what, why and how of it. We will be looking into the different types of videos and how they can be used in corporate training. We'll also discuss some of the common myths that are floating around video-based learning and a few AI tools that can be used to craft immersive videos your learners would fall in love with. And joining me in this interesting conversation is Shalini, Director, Learning Solutions. Welcome to the podcast, Shalini.

0:52
Thank you, Tanushree, and a very warm welcome to all our listeners.

0:56
This is a happening topic because videos are omnipresent, right?

1:01
I'd like to actually begin this by throwing one quick question to our listeners. How many of you are riding the video based training wave? Are you riding it or are you testing the waters or are you still on the shore? So in most of our webinars that we've done, and in our surveys with our customers, we found that the maximum number of people were actually riding the wave already. It was only a very small percentage that was still hesitant to venture into this format.

1:42
Oh, that's interesting to know. To begin with, could you please let us know maybe for the people who are new to the world of video-based learning, what is video-based learning and why is it becoming so popular in today's corporate L&D landscape?

2:05
I think video-based learning really needs no introduction as such, but it's using videos as a training tool. They appeal to multiple generations of learners, right from the Boomers down to the Gen Zs. And if you notice the way we consume content in our everyday life, I'm sure that by the time we reach mid-day, most of us would have already seen two videos, either on YouTube or on LinkedIn. So it is a format we naturally gravitate towards because they are so convenient and invariably they're micro learning. The format is so small, digestible, it's so quick that we can take it on the go while we're waiting for someone, or have a minute to spare in between work. So that I think is the main appeal.

Of course, with training videos, we would have to probably devote a little more time than just this 30 seconds or one minute surfing that we do on YouTube and LinkedIn. But the fact remains that video-based training delivers a lot of advantages in the shortest possible time.

So I'll read out some advantages and in your mind, mentally tick off the ones that you feel apply to video-based learning – enhanced flexibility, enhanced learner engagement, enhanced retention, better cost effectiveness, training available on demand, suitable for microlearning.

I'm sure all of us would have ticked off almost every one of these. Therein lies the appeal for learners and also for organizations that roll out video-based training.

4:17
That's interesting, Shalini, to understand that videos are everywhere today, and everyone is comfortable using them, whether it's as a source of entertainment or as a learning tool. And given a choice between reading a 5000-word article and watching 2 videos of maybe 4 minutes each that illustrates the central idea of the article, most would opt for videos.

So could you please share how video-based learning is a game changer for training today's workforce?

4:58
What you mentioned about videos being the prime form of entertainment, now learners are expecting training not to be entertainment of course, but to be as engaging as possible.

And on this topic, since you talked about the mass appeal of videos, the biggest question in people's mind is, are they really effective? Maybe for entertainment, but what about actual training? What about actual learning?

I remember this Ellen show, she talked about an article that she read in USA TODAY in which an 8 year old kid drove himself and his four year old sister to McDonald's, based on just one thing, that he learned how to drive watching a YouTube video.

5:54
Oh my God.

5:55
I'm sure the sister also must have watched some video because she could navigate. Jokes apart, it looks like we can pretty much learn anything through videos nowadays,. There was a time when a lot of us were not very enthusiastic about video-based training, especially those of us who like a lot of text.

But during the pandemic, during the lockdown, sometimes these video tutorials were our only hope for getting certain things done in the absence of any external support. That's when we realized that they are very powerful. A lot of us knew it all the time, but this really brought into the limelight, the effectiveness of video-based training.

And you mentioned why are they a game changer?

One, it's not just the learners that these videos benefit. They are a benefit to the organization as well because while learners find them engaging, quick to take, and so on, for the organization also, there are a lot of benefits in terms of more cost effectiveness. For instance, it takes far less to turn out a video-based training than a conventional eLearning format. So there are cost benefits.

There is this on-demand aspect of videos which organizations can leverage very powerfully to serve it up, make it available to a learner at their point of need. So it's a win-win for both learners and the organization. And the reason videos have really been a game changer is that we are not really limited to one or two options. There are all kinds of videos out there to suit diverse preferences. Different learners prefer different ways of looking at things, different look and feel. Now we are in that age when it's possible to cater to the needs of such a diverse workforce, a multi-generational workforce, a workforce with widely different learning preferences, and so on.

And of course, the reason they are the biggest game changer is because now they are so easy to develop. With technology and especially AI being the biggest game changer of all, there are lot of options out there.

8:39
So as you mentioned that video-based learning is like a win-win situation for both learners as well as the organizations. They are not only just a simple tool for imparting training, but it makes the whole learning process so engaging. And since it can be integrated into the workflow and as you said that accessibility comes into picture, learners are free to access video-based learning from anywhere, anytime as per their convenience. So Shalini, what are the different types of videos that we can talk about when it comes to video-based learning and how can we use them in corporate training?

9:23
So I would say, we could divide up videos roughly into these categories.

The first is demo videos. I'm sure all of us who've had to teach a product to somebody have always felt that there's nothing like a live classroom session, where the instructor can let learners handle the product, point out the various features, and so on. This is where videos are the next best thing. In fact, they give you the added advantage of replaying is as many times as you want. So you showcase a product, or you demo a service, you walk people through it. That's a powerful learning experience and it's a quick win, especially for salespeople who need to sell a product. For the tech support team which looks at troubleshooting issues, you can walk the learner through it. Even the service technicians, that's a huge win because there's nothing like seeing the thing being fixed right in front of you and all you have to do is go and replicate it. So that is actually a very great example and the quickest win, for that learner group.

Then you have your ‘how to’ videos, which, as the name suggests, walk you very sequentially through a series of steps. These are ideal for intricate processes or sophisticated procedures where the learner needs to learn in a very structured way.

All the ‘how to’ tutorials on YouTube during the lockdown, they attest to the versatility and the effectiveness of this format.

Then you have the explainer videos, which really are very popular because you can use them to explain abstract concepts. You can breakdown complex information into simple digestible bits. So basically you can use any style to explain this. Explainer videos are popular.

And then we have simulation videos where the learner is put into a simulated environment. It's an immersive experience. You put the learner into as close a real world scenario as possible and the learner interacts and does things, takes decisions, and so on. Now, one very popular way of using simulation videos is for software training, because there you can replicate the user interface. The learner engages with the course as if it's the application itself, navigates through it, interacts with it, and they would see the kind of results that they would experience in real time if they were working on the actual application itself. So simulation videos are very popular.

And interactive videos, that's another great format because this is especially good for slightly longer videos. You may want to have the learner engage with the video itself. So, insert a quiz or have the learner pause, hover over something, drag something, where the learner is also doing things.

It becomes a two way interaction because one of the biggest complaints about video, at least in the earlier days was that it's a passive medium. The learner is not doing anything. But interactive videos address that as well. I'll come to this part a little bit later when we talk about the myths.

13:19
So that's quite interesting, Shalini, what a variety we have in hand. And it actually makes the learning process so enjoyable for learners, when used correctly. And it can be definitely a boon for learners.

13:35
Which reminds me, I think you also asked me, where do you see these fitting in the corporate training landscape? So think about it. Think about your typical training requirements.

Are you looking at soft skills?

Are you looking at product training?

Are you looking at training your technical staff?

Are you looking at building leadership and team management. manager training?

Is it something to do with ERP or any kind of software?

Or personal productivity? Think about it. No matter what your requirement, I'm sure that we can all agree that video-based training is so versatile that it can address any of these wide range of needs. That's again one of the reasons why it's increasingly popular in today's time.

14:32
I would just like to understand, we have a variety of videos that you just mentioned. How do they differ in terms of look and feel?

14:46
We have, of course, real videos, the live action videos where you have real people, real props, right? It's a live shoot. And these do have their place. Sometimes it's very important to have a live person communicate something. So those are your real live shoots.

Then you have your animated videos and again, these are very popular because they don't put that cognitive overload on the learner. The moment you see something animated, you tend to be a little more relaxed and be more receptive in a lot of instances, especially if it's some topic which really doesn't interest you too much. You put that in the form of an animated video, the learner's more likely to engage with it. You can use illustrated characters, motion graphics, and so on.

And then you have your whiteboard animations, which replicate an instructor writing on a board, except that it's so much more visually engaging. Those are again popular, especially when you have to explain a concept, draw something, a flow chart, maybe explain some small concept.

I remember we had used animated videos very effectively for soft skills where we had just one minute whiteboard animations telling a small quick story. And they were so popular and were very well received by the customer.

Then of course, you have your talking heads, where you have Avatars that look like real people. They have eye gestures, hand movements. So it's like really looking at a real person. And you have a variety of these talking heads to choose from. You don't have to shoot a real person.

See, live video shoots are expensive, all said and done. It's not easy. It's not a time efficient way to get training done in the sense that so much more goes into a live video shoot. But now you have a fantastic substitute, the talking heads. I'll probably mention it a little more in detail later, but these are some of the very different visual styles that are available.

17:44
It's so nice to know that videos actually are a fantastic strategy that have no limits to the usage for imparting training, but some organisations are skeptical about using videos to impart training. Why do you think these organizations are still not ready to ride the video-based learning wave?

18:16
I think that's a good question, Tanushree. And yes, you're right, there are some organizations which continue to be a little skeptical because there are some myths which are floating around, which may not necessarily still be true. Maybe at some point, they might have been partly true, because there was a time when the cost of production of videos was pretty high. Probably that myth that lingers, that perception still lingers in the minds of L&D managers and organizations. But the fact is that with the technology and the advancements that we made, now videos can be produced at a fraction of the cost.

So that's one myth. The cost factor, the time, the effort required, is a huge thing. One of the myths is that, oh, this is going to take far too much time. But again, as I said, there are tools that make our life so much easier.

Another common myth which I've touched upon briefly at the beginning, is that videos are passive.

But think about it. Think about the most gripping movie you saw recently. If you think about it, the movie is nothing but a long video. You're not really interacting with it, you're not doing anything, but you were hooked line and sinker, you were glued. So that is the power of videos.

If we create a compelling story, if we create compelling content, then it's not necessary for the learner to have to do anything. They are automatically pulled in, they are engaged, they are able to comprehend better and as a result, retain better. So I would say that this myth that videos are very passive, it all depends on how well you create your video-based training.

There are all kinds of training, but everything depends on the hands of the instructional design team, the learning design team. So if you want to make something really engaging, it's up to you. It needn't necessarily be a passive kind of experience for learners. The other myth I want to touch upon is there are a lot of organizations which feel that videos are just an add on, we can do without it. But just look at the workforce. At any point, people are just looking at their phones, watching a video, even employees in their breaks. Now when somebody is so drawn towards this format, why would you not want to consider using the same format to impart learning?

So I would say it's not just another additional kind of format, it should be at the core of your learning strategy. When you think of a blended learning solution, videos would form a very significant part of it. And of course, there is this other extreme which says videos are the solution to every training problem.

That's again a myth because every format has its place. Very lengthy videos are generally not recommended.

And sometimes you don't need a video. Sometimes it could be as something as simple as a well-developed microlearning course with medium level of interactivity and engagement.

When that can do the job equally well, provided your content is compelling, then there's no reason to rush into a video-based training alternative.

I feel these are some of the myths that have stopped organizations from embracing this change that has actually happened all over, especially among the younger generation., but I think it's across the board.

22:20
Yes, definitely you're right. And like you said that it is always helpful to be aware about the benefits as well as the limitations of videos when you are planning to implement it in your organization as a learning strategy. So given that, how do we use videos in the learning journey of a learner? Maybe whether only during training or when at different points, how we can use videos to impart a successful training program to the learners?

23:01
That's the beauty of videos because they are so versatile and usually, as I mentioned earlier, they're shorter. We can use them at any stage in the learning journey, in the learning process. As we all know, learning is not a one off event. It's a process. And the best part is videos can be used even before the learning journey to promote upcoming training, for instance, give a quick teaser, send a sneak preview of the upcoming training, just to grab the attention and create that momentum and excitement around the upcoming training.

If a given training is important and you really want learner buy in, shoot a quick video of a stakeholder talking to the learners about why this particular course is going to help them grow professionally, for instance, improve their performance. And it also shows the leadership's buy in.

So these are things where live videos can really serve the purpose.

And in the case of creating that anticipation and excitement, it can take any format. You can have an animated video or at various stages in a blended solution, you can leverage videos at any point right in that blend.

Another interesting way of using videos is in the classroom. I'm sure we all have done it. So you have a live session, you play a video and then use that to talk about, brainstorm and discuss. It can serve as a springboard for discussion, an icebreaker to kick start a thought provoking discussion.

Videos can also be used long after that actual training is over to offer performance support, for instance, these ‘how to’ videos. What you want is for a learner to be able to pull them up at their moment of need. So create a library of how to videos, make search easy. See, that's one of the things that needs to be taken care of. Otherwise it won't be available at the point of need.

And that way you make sure that you're integrating videos throughout your learning journey, as an integral part of your strategy.

25:25
So that was pretty informative, Shalini, that not only just for the core training, but pre-training as well as post training, we can use videos in multiple ways to actually help learners have a meaningful learning experience. So it would be great if you can shed some light on how AI tools can help in creating immersive videos for learners.

25:54
I'd like to talk about 2-3 AI tools that we have been using very successfully in the training that we developed for our customers. And these are very popular. In fact, they are trending.

One is Vyond which creates these very compelling animations. And they're so visually appealing and you can select your own backgrounds and so on. And because these are AI generated, you can give a prompt and have it created from scratch. We've experimented with this and come up with different kinds of backgrounds, different kinds of characters, and quick scenarios. For example, if you're talking scenario-based training, have a short scenario built using Vyond and then ask learners questions around it. We found that this was very useful, especially this course in which we were training learners on delivering the best possible customer experience. So we just put up various scenarios and instead of being just text based, we actually animated, and the learners were so engaged, it was very effective.

So that's one and then we have Synthesia, which is the talking heads.

So again, you can give your prompts and have it generate the script and videos. That's a great boon for hard-pressed for time learning design teams. There are so many avatars or characters to choose from and they represent diversity. And the latest release of Synthesia has an exciting feature where you can create your own custom avatars. So you can give a clip your own recording and the tool will generate your custom avatar. So when you give it a script, then you see yourself as a talking head that looks pretty close to the real person. So that's another interesting feature.

So convincing for example, in sales training. If the head of the team or maybe the supervisor is not able to be there, these videos can be extremely helpful.

28:30
And also since you mentioned sales, which is really sales training is the biggest challenge and it's also an exciting field. You can showcase, if somebody needs to learn negotiation skills, for instance, show video, it can be a live, it can be a clip, it can be an excerpt from a bigger video.

Or you can use the GoAnimate, the Vyond tool to develop these animated videos, or you can use the talking heads to really explain a video, to give best practices, to give pointers.

So really, I think it's a very versatile medium. And I hope that, you know, with some of the points we touched upon that some of our listeners are enthused to take a deep dive into it.

29:30
I'm sure, I'm sure. So thank you so much, Shalini, for this interesting session. What I understood from our whole conversation is that videos are a great way to go for employee training. Definitely if they are aligned with the learning objectives, they can bring the best out of the learners.

29:54
Absolutely right. As you said, the main thing is the foundation, you have to have robust instructional design. Otherwise you end up creating a lot of nice looking stuff, which doesn't have any impact. .

30:11
So that was a good reminder. Thank you so much. I'm sure that all our viewers have also enjoyed this conversation and found this podcast really insightful. So thank you once more, Shalini. And for more such informative podcasts on trending topics, stay tuned. Thank you.