3 Tips for Using Videos Effectively for Micro courses

hand drawing lines between designs on a whiteboard

You’re probably already familiar with why micro-learning would be a benefit to your learners. The fast-paced work atmosphere, the shorter attention spans, the projects pulling you in every direction, the ease of learning one concept at a time, there’s a long list of reasons why smaller chunks of learning is the way to go. And if you’ve followed our blog for any length of time, you should already have a pretty good idea of how to create effective micro-learning. But today, we’re going to spice things up with one of the best learning tools we have available: video.
Studies have shown that video learning has positive outcomes on multiple levels, including increased motivation and deeper learning, and can specifically impact students’ ability to facilitate discussions and identify problems. Why not use that impact in your training? Here are 3 tips to get you started using videos within your learning.

TIP 1: Video as an Anchor

hand drawing lines between designs on a whiteboardDo you find the idea of designing a course overwhelming? Even when designing micro courses, you might find it difficult to get started if you’re not used to developing content. If that’s the case, why not anchor the micro course with a video? Start by selecting one video concept that you already have that would be valuable to your learners. This will be the focal point of your micro course. Everything else around it can be used to supplement that material.
Determine what supplemental learning you will need around the video by asking some of these questions:

 

Finally, make sure you check for understanding by providing an activity for your learners to demonstrate knowledge, like a question or quiz, or by submitting their thoughts or opinions to a discussion board or file upload widget. For example, one of our clients, PINE, does a wonderful job reinforcing the new skills that learners are presented with by giving them space to reflect. Learners are asked to type and submit ungraded responses during their learning journey, which inspires them to think freely of ways that the learning applies to their own experiences!

TIP 2: Video to Invite Interaction

amphitheater full of people watching a speaker on a central stageWe all know how important it is to keep learners engaged nowadays, and if you’re using a video to illustrate a point, you’re already ahead in the game of retaining attention! One way to kick this up a notch is to consider your videos an opportunity for engagement. Here are some ways to accomplish that:

TIP 3: Video as a Window into the Real World

hand holding a globe out over calm waterHave you ever taken training where you’ve answered a long list of questions correctly, and then you get the notice that says “great, you’re all set! Learning finished! Go do that thing!” but you still feel completely unprepared? It’s more common than we’d all like it to be. Conquering the gap between training and on-the-job action is a challenge and can lead to a lot of anxiety for learners who feel unprepared.
You know what a great way is to make them feel more prepared? You guessed it, video. Use your video assets to ground your learners in the real world, and make the learning feel less like memorizing a list of facts and more like practice in the real world. Here are some tips for achieving this.

All in all, video is an incredibly powerful resource for learning and one that you should consider utilizing to make a big impact in a small amount of space. Video and microlearning are perfect partners in ensuring your learners will stay on top of their continuing education, or learn a new skill between emails. Show your learners that you value their time through these small chunks of important videos, and you’ll make the impact you’re looking for without any extra effort.
Don’t have an archive of videos, and need a little extra help developing these microlearning courses for your learners? No sweat! Reach out to us at Digitec Interactive (now Apti) today for a chat about how we can help.

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