The developments of the last decade have revolutionized video technology, making it an essential part of our lives. Videos are becoming a part of all spheres, more so when it comes to e-learning. It includes the productive aspects of audios, pictures, and also conventional teaching. Educators can give the best interactive experience through the videos to their students and help them learn while engaging. Whether you are a corporate organization looking forward to train your employees, or a teacher taking the help of visual aids to clear the basics, interactive videos can be your best ally. Here’s how:
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What are interactive videos?
Traditional videos are becoming passé. They give the viewers the option to play, pause, rewind, fast-forward or replay the video. You must be wondering what makes interactive videos different from the conventional ones? Well, it is the ability to interact with the video directly, which makes these videos more engaging. The viewers can click on options individually, have a 360-degree view of the content, drag, hover, scroll, and even gesture it. These features of interactive videos make sure that the viewers absorb the content, and keeps them engaged with your platform.
Tricks to make your interactive videos impactful:
Make gamification a part of it:
The audience loves it when they get a chance to use their skills to solve the challenges. Completing the big pictures, after viewing the options can act as a massive motivator for them.
There are four significant elements of gamification that you can include in the e-learning videos. To achieve more engagement with the viewers, ask them questions through the form of storytelling. While repeating the tricky challenges, they will get the mastery, which can add to the engagement quotient of your content. Autonomy is part and parcel of interactive videos, for it gives them the chance to explore their options. You can reward them with positive feedback and points, upon completion of a level to keep them hooked to the videos.
Plan it with precision:
Interactive videos give you an advantage over regular videos when it comes to holding the attention of the audience. However, that does not imply that you can add loads of information and make it lengthy. Even with all the tools to engage the audience, their attention span will not last that long.
So firstly, plan the video as per the target audience and the goal you wish you achieve. Focus on keeping the video short and precise rather than going on and on. You can make use of the technique called branch mapping, which gives you a stronghold on which route to take to achieve the learning objective.
Use the medium to explain a complex topic with ease. If the issue is long, you can keep a plan where you break down the concept into a few videos, and begin the introductory video with all the questions. They can take the viewer directly to the particular video where they can learn from. Make subtitles, quirky captions, and study guides a part of your route, which will ensure greater understanding along with making it engaging.
We, humans, are fickle when it comes to attention span, so while making a video, you have to be careful about it. Making it crisp, short, and precise will ensure that your e-learning videos leave an impact.
Make it accessible to all:
We live in a digitized era where the saying ‘out of sight, out of mind’ certainly holds. It is becoming imperative for websites to have a platform that is easily accessible to all, and that their content reaches all platforms. With the recent spurt in our dependence on smartphones, curating the videos solely for your website won’t cut.
To make yourself heard, you ought to reach out first. Your website must be mobile-friendly, allowing the users to access it through their phones. Giving your site a user-friendly interface, along with accessibility on all devices, will also get you a higher SEO ranking. As per a recent survey by Pew Research Center, over 95% of teens have access to smartphones, which goes on to show their preferences. It is becoming crucial to know your target audience and their behavior during the test run phase so that you can make a move easily from Flash to HTML5.
While you are making the shift to mobile-oriented websites and videos, keep in mind to keep the basics intact. Even though your video is engaging, many users might not be familiar with using it on a new platform. Give them the play and pause button to make it consistent for them.
Engage the audience:
The most notable feature of interactive videos is its ability to engage with the users and hold their attention. It is this feature that makes it advantageous for e-learning. Making it engaging will add to the fun quotient and make the entire learning experience enjoyable for them. After they have understood the concept and nevertheless enjoy while learning, the users are likely to come back to your website for more assistance.
There is a myriad of tools at your disposal to make the video interactive. You can play around animation to make the storytelling process more impactful and compelling. Animating the choices will give the viewers a strong visual, rather than simply stating it out.
Irrefutably, education is the key to bring about a change in society. With the advent of technology, video learning is slowly occupying center stage in this field. While interactive videos are already popular as marketing tools for big companies, educators are resorting to this technology and advancement to engage with the students. If you are also an educator, you can also deliver a better understanding of your students, along with interacting with them through these easy tricks.