Tag Archives: learning

Video e-learning continues to grow

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Those of you with an interest in the use of video online may be interested to see that digital marketers, Econsultancy, have published a report on ‘Best Practice for Online Video’.

The 60-page report contains practical tips and a number of case studies for companies who want to use the medium to better their business.

Independent digital specialist and author of the report, Steffan Aquarone, said: “This guide to online video is specifically aimed at brand or marketing managers, content owners and digital marketers who are using video as a strategic tool. It aims to lay out everything that’s happening in online video so you can choose the tools and techniques that will work for your project and achieve clear, measurable business objectives from online video.

“The report is full of examples from some of the top people in online video to help you anticipate what will be relevant to your organisation in the future.”

Video is fast becoming the most popular technique in online communication, overtaking the written word and still pictures. Aimed at enhancing our enjoyment and keeping us engaged, some of the benefits associated with video as part of e-learning include: immediate visual feedback, green and sustainable learning, support for different learning styles – such as audio and visual learners.

The report contains: an introduction to online video strategy, a report on why video works: strategic benefits and Online video essentials, including formats, platforms, channels, social sharing and digital rights management.

It also includes the following topics:
-) Getting an audience, including email distribution, seeding content and video search engine optimisation
-) Measurement
-) Producing content
-) Legislation
-) Future of online video
-) Glossary

Expert contributors to the report include Chris Gorell Barnes (Adjust Your Set), Will Grant (Buto), Mike Johnston (Boss Creative), Lee Kemp (Fullrange), Bismarck Lepe (Ooyala), Stuart Maister (BroadView Communications), Manley (LBi), Joe Pélissier (independent marketing consultant and producer) and Sarah Wood (Unruly Media).

Skylark Media Group, a video production company based in Bristol, not only creates online video, but also offers advice on video SEO and its strategic use online.

The Skylark Media Group blog discusses the changing world of video.

Email the online writer: Rebecca@skylarkmediagroup.co.uk

UK University flies the flag for e-learning

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Anglia Ruskin University has been selected to create online learning courses for training RAF medics posted overseas.

The institution which has campuses in both Cambridge and Chelmsford will offer degrees to improve the knowledge of the medical professionals, starting in September.

The health and social care course and two-year foundation degree have been designed to cater to the needs of staff members working in the field.

Flt Lt Ric Stubley, of HQ 22 Group, said: “When RAF medics are on postings such as Afghanistan, studying for an online degree is a perfect way of filling their downtime.”

Last year, 140 students from the university completed a degree in learning technology research using online learning courses in a bid to promote e-learning as a valid method of embarking upon higher education.

Tony Howard, head of Anglia Ruskin’s Higher Skills@Work team, said: “Through this latest Higher Skills@Work initiative we are able to provide training to RAF Medics with academic credit, which may then be topped-up via a range of Anglia Ruskin distance learning courses to achieve a full undergraduate degree.

“Our courses are designed specifically to build the professional skills and knowledge to meet the challenges of operating in this arena, and to ensure the continuation of a high-quality learning experience during overseas postings.”

Anglia Ruskin University has a student population of 28,000 and is one of the largest universities in the east of England. The university has developed a portfolio of supported distance learning courses.

Distance learning provides the option to choose when and where to study and is an ideal solution for people juggling work, family and childcare. Skylark Media Group, a video production company based in Bristol, has worked alongside e-learning companies to produce video for training, education and entertainment.

Post-graduate courses for RAF staff are currently in the process of being developed.

Find out why video is important in an e-learning programme.

Video Snacking – the way ahead?

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We do it when we have five minutes to spare, when the boss isn’t looking or when we’re on our lunch break. “Video Snacking” describes the online viewing habits spreading around the world. Since the birth of YouTube in 2005, the need for a quick glimpse of a music video or a short viral-ad has gone from strength to strength. But will it keep growing? And to what extent will video snacking become the way in which we use the net?


Online video is easily accessible to viewers throughout their day, particularly on the lunch break. With more of us eating at our desks and taking shorter breaks, a small comedy clip, a quick glimpse of a music video or a brief news update are what we are opting to watch.
The trend is not just bound to the office lunch hour. When considering adding video to a business training program, research has shown that the viewer retains more information from bite-size clips, because this is the way we consciously choose to consume online video.

US Statistics
Two years ago market research company comScore published highlights of its video reporting for November 2008. It said that 77% of the U.S. internet audience viewed online video. Those viewers watched 34% more online videos than they did the previous year and the average duration of an online video was 3.1 minutes.
More recently, research from technology blog gigaOM Pro reports that most online viewers are video snackers. Over 60% of respondents claimed to regularly watch short video whereas only 30% claimed to regularly watch full-length programs.

UK Statistics
Skylark Media Group recently conducted its own research survey to find if people in the UK regularly watch short video online and how long they spend getting their video snacking fix during working hours. We found that the majority (67%) of 25-34 year olds who took part in the survey spent the most time video snacking during working hours than any other age group, with an average time of 4-5 hours per week. 78% of 18-24 year olds said that they watched 3-4 hours of short video during working hours.
45-54 year olds had the least time spent in a week watching short video with 1-2 hours. A massive 89% said they regularly watch short/user-generated video more than full-length video at any time. That same amount said they would watch online video received from friends and colleagues and would in-turn then send the video on.
From these results we can see that the majority of online video viewers prefer to watch shorter video. Quick news clips with snappy information are trumping the full length programme.

Marketing opportunity
User-generated video and shared video content are by far the most popular forms of online video, this is leading to a potentially successful marketing opportunity for the online video community.
Due to the midday spike in web traffic, media companies now have started responding by uploading video at specific times of the day and inevitably selling online advertising for the midday slot at a higher premium.
The research and data collected shows that video snacking and the consumption of short online video is continuing to rise globally year after year. The way forward for online video in all settings, including news, music and training programs is to keep it short, sharp and in bite-size snacks.

How do people learn?

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Video and its effectiveness, written for Skylark Media Group

People learn in many different ways and no two people absorb information in the same way. We all know the three main learning patterns; visual, audio and kinesthetic and most people know what style suits them. Around 60% of people are visual learners – they prefer to see how to do things rather than just talk about them. Visual learners prefer to watch demonstrations and will often get a lot out of video instruction.

In a business training video, the main objective is to get the viewer, which could be a prospective employee, current employee or customer to understand and retain as much information as possible. With the majority of us being visual learners there appears to be a call for more interactive learning.

A visual learner at work

In her blog post ‘The Human Factor: Instructing from a Learner’s Perspective’ , Learning Solutions Magazine author, Mary Arnold, says, “The world of online learning still largely consists of page-turners created for compliance training. And, for the most part, the learners I talk to often describe their online training experiences as boring or aggravating, and not very educational.  It’s a reasonable reaction.”

“Even though learning professionals know that human brains aren’t designed to download large bodies of abstract, detailed information in a short time, page-turners often require learners to demonstrate just that skill. Interactive elements, which are much more appropriate teaching tools, considering what we know about how we learn, are relatively under-represented; even now that online learning is a well-established field.”

Many mistakes are made when it comes to e-learning methods. Often companies will think that because a training programme is on a screen as opposed to somebody standing in-front of the new recruits, the viewer will automatically retain everything that appears in-front of them. This is not the case. If a viewer is generally a visual learner, this will still be relevant in an e-learning method.

Psychologists and educators have found that retention of information three days after a presentation or meeting is six times greater when the information is presented both visually and orally rather than by spoken word alone.

So with the majority of people learning more from being shown instructions, it appears as though video and learning go hand-in-hand.