Santa Rosa, CA (USA), June 2010 -Video is the fastest means currently available to create engaging online learning experiences, especially for the masses. With this in mind, in the following article, Jeremy Vest of Learning Solutions Magazine explains how to best use video as a rapid instructional design and development tool. He provides a step-by-step guide for creating great instructional video design and producing such experiences.
Step 1: Planning the video
Here is an example of a simple video plan I use to get started on a project:
Step 2: Understanding video-based instruction design basics
One of the biggest mistakes people make with video is the length. The optimal video segment should be two to seven minutes long: if needed, segment them. If you have one hour of video based training, find main points and break the training down into those points.
The second mistake people frequently make with video is not engaging and connecting to the learner. Occasional close-ups with the instructor looking at the camera help to create and maintain a connection to the learners.
Also, pick the right talent for your video. Make sure that your SME personally works well on video and for your demographic. Make sure that your SME is a thought leader in the subject matter you're teaching. Capturing the SME's passion for the subject will help to engage learners. Try not to script or control the shoot too much or the passion might be lost. Always think about what you would be willing to watch. If the presentation becomes boring, your audience might not engage in the content, and they will not learn.
Step 3: Pre-production and practice
The best approach is to give your SME an outline and desired learning goals, and to have a practice run before the day of the shoot. The day of the practice run, give your SME options. Some people need a teleprompter; some people are horrible with them. It is up to you to understand how the SME will best deliver training.
Make the SME's personality shine, and don't worry about perfection. The more comfortable the instructor, the more engaged the learner. Having a few mistakes gives the SME more humanity and personality. If the SME is prepared, it will show through in the video and your learners will benefit.
Step 4: The role of the instructional designer/producer
The best advice I can give you is to make your SMEs happy and comfortable. You want them to be who they are. Try not to make your talent feel like they have to act and explain that if they mess up it is better keep on going without stopping.
I also suggest that you record each video in segments that are just two to seven minutes long. This allows the SMEs to take a breath and doesn't put as much pressure on them. You can always go back to redo a few segments.
Step 5: Post-production
Make sure that you take good notes during Step 3; this will be helpful when editing the video and when uploading the course to your LMS. I suggest a debriefing with your team after the shoot. Write down anything that might be important. Having another set of eyes and ears on the shoot is very helpful. Finally, I suggest that the editor also be the cameraman, which is a great way to educate the editor in the course. Don't forget to consider the disabled learner; create closed captions for all video training. Closed captions are also a good way to optimize your video for Google search results.
Step 6: The online learners' experience
Understanding how your learners learn is great information to ensure a positive experience. If you are creating video for the Web, you must compress the video based on how much bandwidth your typical student has. Video compression can be a very complicated matter.
To keep things simple, I suggest making your videos FLV or H264 files playing through a Flash 9 or higher player (I recommend the open source JW Media Player). The best way to make sure everyone can watch your videos is to use a content delivery network (CDN) to host your video files.
