“Tell me and I may remember.Show me and I’ll see.Involve me and I’ll understand.” - Confuscius
This is one of a series of articles on using video tools within an instructional design environment. One of the common mistakes that companies make is to have unreasonable expectations of video learning effectiveness or, worse yet, they don’t establish a set of criteria for achieving specific results. Although video is primarily an emotional medium and can educate viewers, it should not be used as a stand-alone instructional tool. It is important to know that the use of video, or any other kind of media, is simply one of many tools that are available to an instructional designer. The use of visual mediums are only an extension of our unique message-making capacity.
The use of videos (this information applies as well to interactive multimedia) as a instructional aid certainly has effectiveness when applied correctly. There are some things that video accomplishes very well such as role playing in crisis management scenarios and playing out customer service drills; however, the bottom line is that the student-audience performance must be integrated into the instruction. If learners know that they must perform the task demonstrated on the video with a certain, specified competency, their minds will be stimulated in a different way and they will likely pay closer attention.
This article focuses on making full use of the video (as an element in the larger framework of instructional design) medium.
Moving images have incredible power to influence our attitudes and belief systems. Understanding and consideration of these strategies opens the doors to increased viewer/learner participation and retention.
Traditionally, learning was never meant to be an enjoyable process: most of the teaching aids used through the public school system were certainly developed form this way of thinking. There are a few films that stand apart from the rest and they’re quite effective. One is an educational, and entertaining, series on science from the Bell Laboratories. The films are pleasant, and a much needed departure from the droll and boring Encyclopedia Britannica series…which were little more than lectures recorded on 16mm motion picture film. This is what is known as “pure content.”
When I think back on the Bell Laboratory films I remember the Dr. Baxter character as he would lead us on quests for answers to scientific questions. To help us find these answers he would often employ things like imaginary machines and microscopic animated characters. One of the animated characters was Hemo the Magnificent. The Hemo character actually refused to help Dr. Baxter with his problem unless he could answer the riddle of what two words perfectly described human blood. I remember the answer is sea water.
I remember the answer because the question was such a pivotal and dramatic moment in the film: it was critical to answer the question correctly if Hemo was going to lend his assistance. Dr. Baxter gave the answer and didn’t even break a sweat doing it. What a hero!
The Bell Laboratory series captured the sense of wonder that the world of nature holds for us as children.
During a television interview, the famous teenage painter, Alexandra Nekita pointed out that adults seem to lose their appreciation for the magic in every day. They take their existence for granted and little inspires them. She was pointing out something that is essentially true in our tendency to look at life and everything in it as memorizing and regurgitating information with very little premium placed on creative original thinking. Education and employee training is all taken rather seriously. After all, to be serious is to be significant, right? As it turns out, the two are not mutually exclusive and significant learning is more apt to take place when certain strategies are applied. In fact, we learn the most and tend to retain what we’ve learned when we’re having fun in the process.
Engaging learners in any media requires a good design and an understanding of the motivation of the learners. The following strategies addresses the strength and high-impact potential of video while supporting the trainer’s central task of promoting understanding, intellectual curiosity, and creative activity in the learner.
People learn best when they are most agreeable to learning and deeply involved in the subject or activity. Furthermore, if instructional designers expect trainees to approach their responsibilities with verve and imagination, then they should apply those same energies to the process of building the programs.
A self-fulfilling prophesy exists: since many practitioners believe that non-entertainment video is dull, they validate their opinion by creating dull videos. Dry data is dull: no amount of flashy effects or pretentious music will change that perception.
The challenge is to look at the information with a fresh perspective. Ask: Who does this information empower? Whose vision brought it into being? Whose life will it enhance? It is basically a call to challenge: a challenge to new heights or achievement. In order for this challenge to be compelling and irresistible, the call has to appeal to the imagination and engage the spirit of the audience while maintaining integrity with the educational material. So let’s look at the first question. Who does this information empower? The answer better be your audience.
This principle of relevancy also applies to the idea of primal marketing. Engage people on their level so that they see how the information, product or service applies specifically to their life. To the extent the story resonates within, the viewer will be interested and involved.
