Video Learning and Storytelling
In 1983, researcher and theorist – Richard Clark wrote that “media are mere vehicles that deliver instruction but do not influence student achievement any more than the truck that delivers our groceries causes changes in nutrition… only content of the vehicle can influence achievement” (Clark, pg 445 – volume 53 of the Review of Educational Research – 1983).
Interesting food for thought, don’t you think? Because technologies are constantly changing and evolving (just like fashion trends) and content is something that strives to be timeless. Kind of like a Chanel suit. Whether you bought one in the 1960’s or the other week, it’s a timeless wardrobe piece. Written content can be the same. However, the evolution of learning technologies truly enhances the way we learn and achieve knowledge transfer.
Back in September, I posted a short post on ’s idea of “flip thinking”. Over the past few months, there has been a reemergence of video learning in the classroom and online. Kind of like 1980’s fashion trends, reemerging in the 2000’s.
Video learning is not a new concept; it’s one that has been around for more than 50’s years. Satellite technology from the 1960’s made is cost effective for people to learn via television and in the 1980’s Instructional Television (ITV) was utilized at a much more rapid pace due to its cost effectiveness.
Rather than fading into darkness, video learning has evolved with the times and technology innovations. We’ve gone from PBS in the classroom, to video web conferencing, to user generated videos for learning purposes. Today, we live in a YouTube generated world where users and not just the learner but also the instructor and how content is taught is flipped upside down and spun around.
We are seeing people like bestselling author Daniel Pink sharing this concept of learning outside of the classroom and practices inside the classroom. Students are now learning critical curriculum via YouTube videos their teacher posted or through organizations like Sal Khan’s Khan Academy.
While books still have a prevalent place in the world of learning, video learning and story-telling are having profound impacts on the way people learn. Khan said in his March 2011 Ted Talks that the reason his videos have been so effective was the notion that when people are learning something for the very first time, they don’t want someone standing over them asking, “Do you understand this?” Rather learners are able to pause, repeat and learn at their own time and pace.
Once again, it’s this idea of putting the learner in the driver seat and letting them take control of their learning experience. Typically when you feel like you are in control of something, you are more likely to succeed because you are the one setting the rules or determining the pace.
The other interesting concept that is emerging with video learning is the prevalence of story-telling. Again, story-telling is not a new concept. It was used well beyond the years of books and writing. People learned through their family members and verbal story telling.
William Horton (2006) said that “stories are often what learners remember best but what designers leave out when converting classroom courses to eLearning.” As an eLearning designer I can say this statement is true. Often time’s classroom courses need to be quickly converted to eLearning and there is not nearly as much time invested in making the course engaging or relate-able.
One quick and easy fix to ensuring those stories that are told in the classroom are told online is through video. Ask instructors and subject matter experts to take a moment and video the stories they would share in person. Also, for digestible bites of information, why not use a video to convey your information, rather than building an entire course (classroom or online). Consider how your learners learn and give them the option to pause and repeat you or their own time and pace. It’s amazing to think how many wonderful things you can do with video and story-telling and stay within budget!
