While on the one hand, distance learning is nothing new, today’s online learning platforms have one huge advantage over the independent study programs of the past: namely, video. And you don’t even have to be enrolled in a class to benefit from the development of educational videos–such videos are everywhere now.
You can learn from educational videos on YouTube, or without even thinking about it, be redirected to a teaching video from a news article. Educational video production can massively improve the effectiveness of a learning platform. There are a few key advantages to incorporating video like this.
Firstly, there is the ability to communicate with both auditory words and visual images simultaneously. This is something no print medium can do, to allow the viewer to see something at the same time that words are spoken. And since some students are visual learners while others are auditory learners–and most of us fall somewhere in between–educational video production uniquely enables students to learn in whatever way is most effective for them. It also has the unique ability to be rewound, sped up, or slowed down.
This once again means students can learn in whatever way is most effective for them. For instance, if a student doesn’t understand something, they can immediately rewind, and make sure they have the fact down before moving on. Whereas, in a classroom, that same student would have been left behind, as the class continues onto new topics before they have grasped the old one.
Similarly, a student can slow down the speed of a video, so that the overall pace matches their own. And, conversely, a student can speed up a lesson that doesn’t move quickly enough for them. In this way, rather than boring an advanced student, their engagement is kept and nurtured. And engagement, overall, is another advantage of video.
Video has been shown in numerous studies to attract our eye, keep our focus, and help learner’s more effectively recall information. Educational video production is beneficial even when making a simple explainer video, where animations can make complex concepts simple, and keep the overall throughline in focus. Educational video production also grants unique capabilities for demonstration. Instead of being limited merely to what can be demonstrated inside a classroom (and otherwise just having to explain and describe the topic), with video, possibilities are endless.
Students can watch endangered wildlife from thousands of kilometers away, or see the heart of an active volcano, or be inside a lunar spacecraft. With video, your students can go anywhere, see anything, and gain a deeper understanding of it all.
If you are thinking about incorporating educational video production into your own teaching strategy, get in touch with us at info@offingmedia.com to discuss options, and see what educational video might do for you!