Elearning via video content is one of the best routes to information retention, but how do you begin to create a training video for your LMS?
Building a custom library of video training resources is simpler than you might think: here are our top ten simple tips for getting started on your first video.
Identify People In Your Company Who Would Be Great At Delivering It
One of the most successful formats for online training videos is a speaker explaining a topic to the camera. You can hire a professional actor to read a script, but you’ve likely got a contender or two in your company already. Identify these folks and approach them with the idea. Subject Matter Experts who understand a concept deeply often have a clear and straightforward way of explaining it, or a few clever tricks up their sleeve to help others memorise detail. You might have a dynamic natural speaker who commands attention or an individual who is entertaining and approachable in their manner. All these traits are perfect for creating fantastic eLearning videos, and so we say leverage the talent you have at your fingertips.
A great speaker who skilfully draws learners in and engages them with course material is worth their weight in gold.
Keep It Simple And Low Cost
An excellent eLearning video doesn’t require a huge budget to make – you’re not shooting Dune! Simple, low-cost videos can be direct and impactful if you remember just a few key things.
Firstly, consider your lighting setup. It’s not necessary to blow the budget here if you’ve got a space with superb natural light, and if you don’t have this, you’d be amazed at how much help an ordinary standing lamp can be. Avoid creating spooky shadows or distracting effects as you want your learners to focus on the topic, so do a few test shots first to see what works best.
Secondly, you don’t need to invest in the latest or most expensive camera gear. You can shoot a perfectly good training video on a decent phone. However, you want the shot to be steady, so use a tripod to ensure your eLearners don’t get seasick. With bright, even lighting and a (clean!) steady lens, you’ll be well on your way to great video courses without a ton of unnecessary tech expense. In fact, a simple video usually makes a better impact than a more complicated one because your core message can be lost if the production values become too quirky or fussy.
Invest In Great Audio
However, one barrier to producing engaging online training videos is poor quality sound. You may want to invest in a decent microphone if the ambient sound in the room isn’t quite good enough. This needn’t be extremely expensive and money well spent.
Keep Training Clips Short And To The Point
We’ve spoken about the ideal length of your LMS training modules in other blogs, and developing LMS video content is no different. Aim for brief, snappy, memorable clips that deliver essential information but don’t wear the viewer out.
This ‘microlearning’ approach is effective when it comes to most eLearning formats, as it doesn’t demand the learner take on board too much at once. If you have a subject that requires folks to grasp several concepts, break the topic down into a series of short videos rather than creating one long one.
Film Against An Interesting Backdrop
In addition to brevity, another easy way to capture and keep your learner’s attention is to film your video against an interesting backdrop.
This can be anything you think might either support the lesson’s theme or positively represent your company brand. It’s essential to strike a balance between attractive and busy, as too much of a set can be distracting, and avoid anything moving in the background for the same reason.
For example, an online training video that covers kitchen safety can be shot in a simple kitchen setup. An onboarding course can feature a welcoming environment: a bright or characterful wall, perhaps and maybe a table with a few carefully chosen objects.
Speak Slowly and Clearly
Whether you’ll be presenting an eLearning video yourself or directing someone else, the details of the topic should come across clearly. Great LMS video content relies on being easily understandable to viewers, so well-paced, crystal clear speech is a must. Encourage your video speaker to talk slowly and with clarity. Ensure there’s no mumbling or racing through the content, as your students will end up pausing and rewatching to try and catch missed phases. This can break concentration and ultimately lead to folks abandoning the module. An LMS course that features perfectly intelligible videos is far more likely to go down well with learners and keep them on their learning path.
Auto Generate Subtitles in Different Languages
To improve clarity, auto-generate subtitles for your eTraining videos in several languages. This way, your course material will be accessible to every learner, regardless of the language they feel most comfortable with. Plus, subtitles boost accessibility to LMS video content for differently-abled employees and others who like to read along to ensure they have understood what is being said. No need to hire a translator: your Learning Management Software probably comes with strong auto-generating tools on its dashboard.
Keep LMS Video Content Light And Interesting
We can’t stress this enough. Keep your LMS videos as fun as you can. Interesting training content presented in a light, entertaining way is much more likely to hit the right note with your learners. You can work a little humour into the script if appropriate or relate procedural info to anecdotal snippets if it is relevant. It can also help if your speaker isn’t obviously reading their lines out loud.
Use Fun Editing Techniques To Retain Learner Engagement
Staying on the topic of keeping things entertaining, you can employ a few different types of editing techniques to retain learner engagement. A course comprised of a series of identical videos may start to feel flat halfway through, so consider switching between a couple of backgrounds, slotting in graphics, or even funny gifs if a laugh is going to help learners stay focused. These techniques aren’t hard to pick up, and you may have team members who are already skilled at this. A model online training video is pacy, visually stimulating and quickly gets to the lesson’s core.
Clarify What Will Be Covered At The Start Of Each Clip
Lastly, it’s always ideal for students to understand what each video will cover before they commit to watching the whole thing. To ensure you have the right learners watching the appropriate training video online, open with what will be covered in the following footage. Targeting the correct training to individuals is essential for successful eLearning outcomes, so the option to skip or select an alternative module in the first minute is important. You can do this by having your speaker run through the incoming content or simply listing topics via on-screen graphics. This can have the added benefit of piquing a viewer’s interest too.
So, to wrap up, we say creating stimulating training videos for your LMS is actually easier than it sounds, and the value of this content to your eLearning program is extremely high. Keep it simple, short, clear and entertaining and you’ll have a quality batch of online training resources in no time.
Good luck!