Creating an interactive video for your e-learning course is not as difficult as you think. You just need to follow a few basic rules that are actually quite obvious. These rules are oftentimes necessary to implement other elearning strategies – which is why its importance in video creation is lost to most of us.
The great thing about using videos is it captures the attention of learners in ways that text or audio cannot do. Even if it is a simple video that is made out of photos and images and combined with the right kind of narrative, it can already be a powerful and interactive tool in e-courses.
So what are these rules that you should follow in order to create a highly interactive video?
Create a storyboard. This is simply your way of visualizing the course as a whole. It will allow you to identify the important parts of the video that you will create. You can start with an outline for a general feel of the learning experience. But since the end result is a video, then it helps to have images to complement your outline. This storyboard will act as your map to help you identify the tools that you will use to accomplish each part of the video.
Plant activities throughout the course. Through your storyboard, you can identify the areas that require activities to make the video interactive. Think about the children’s show, Dora. You will notice that the character of Dora, when faced with a choice will pause to ask the viewers about what they think. Obviously, the makers of the show have no idea how the viewers will react. But if you notice, the children watching the show are actually glued to the screen because of these questions make them feel like they are part of the adventure. Simple questions or moments of reflection will make the e-learning video interactive enough that it will encourage learners to pay attention.
Know the viewers. To make something interactive, you have to know what will engage your target audience. If you have a new idea for a product, you would naturally ask your target market if this is something that they would like to have. The same is true for e-learning. You have to ensure that the elements of your video are appealing to the target viewers. That will allow you to create the right activities that they can relate to and enjoy. This will make them more enthusiastic about interacting with the video material.
Try storytelling. One of the best ways to deliver a lesson is through stories. It makes the concepts relatable and realistic. Also, the characters can represent what the learners would like to achieve or overcome in their lives. When learners are able to relate to the characters in the story, they get to invest emotions into it – which usually makes them care enough about the decisions being shown in the video. This will make it more memorable and thus increase the retention rate of the course.
Allow replays. In fact, do more than allowing this move. Make them want to do a replay. Repetitions make it easier for them to remember and reinforce the message within the video. Take note that this replay does not have to happen immediately. It can happen at a later date as a follow-up activity.
Make sure it can be supported by multiple devices. Finally, you need to make the video flexible enough so it can be viewed through multiple devices. This will allow the learners easy access in case they want to view the video again.
These rules for your e-learning videos can help you create an interactive course that will hopefully make learning enjoyable for the viewers. Once you achieve this feat, you might be able to instill a love for learning – which will make them hungry for more learning materials.
Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici for FreeDigitalPhotos.net