Top 6 Trends in Video Based Learning for 2018

Video learning is taking center stage. Within the last three years, the perception of video has shifted from “expensive, nice-to-have” for L&D strategies, to the “new normal.” 

 

In fact, in the CGS 2017 Enterprise Learning Annual Report, we found that the most significant change to digital learning strategies is video. In 2016, Web-based training and instructors were tied at 88% as the most used channels for learning initiatives; and video took the #3 spot at 74%. In 2017, the entire game changed: Video came in as the #1 channel for learning delivery and newer technologies such as mobile, social and microlearning now make up half of all learning delivery. In 2016, these technologies did not comprise even 20% of the channels used. 

 

Driven by employee demand, overall increased use and engagement, and a reduction in costs, video has moved front and center for L&D. The growth is continuing at an accelerated rate, fueled by increased use of AR and VR, and mobile technologies which allows “learning on the go” to fit seamlessly into the lives of employees.

 

We checked in with Micah White, R&D director with CGS Enterprise Learning, to get some predictions for 6 video-based learning trends that will dominate 2018.

 

 

 

We call this the “YouTube” effect. A few years ago, when the teams at CGS Learning pitched these very short videos, usually under 5 minutes, they did not really catch on. Today, companies have seen the value of these with the popularity of short, instructional videos on YouTube.

 

 

 

Interactive videos have been popular for some time, however there were technological challenges to making these courses mobile. H5P, aka HTML5 Package, a framework that aims to make it easy for everyone to create, share and reuse interactive HTML5 content such as interactive videos, presentations, quizzes, timelines and more has eliminated the mobile challenge. 

 

Prediction #3: User-generated content will continue to grow and strengthen a self-developing workforce.   

 

 

With the ease of creating short videos on smartphones, and the rise of Millennials and Generation Z in the workforce, user-generated training videos are becoming an increasingly popular, affordable and effective way for your workforce to take and share clips of tasks they perform with their team members. With added social features, including voting, curation and comments, these videos also have much higher engagement than traditional training videos.

 

 

 

Games are engaging, fun and keep people plugged in;-  they’re also a great way to learn. 

 

But we’ve known this for years, so why is there a new trend to predict now? In its Gamification 2020 report, Gartner predicts that gamification, combined with other emerging trends and technologies, will have a significant impact on:

 

A few companies, most notably Deloitte with its “Will you Fit in at Deloitte?” game, have realized great results from gamification in learning, and momentum is picking up for more companies to get on board. 

 

 

 

Interactive platforms are generating a lot more feedback and data collection than traditional courses because users have the ability to choose a variety of paths and options. Through the use of XAPI hooks, a new replacement for SCORM, organizations will gain more meaningful analytics and metrics that can be used to improve courses such as how many learners hesitate when a new option is introduced or the average time it takes to complete a question or module. In the recent past, the only data available was whether someone took the course, completed and passed it. The combination of the four previous predictions will lead to richer, smarter, more predictive data opportunities.  

 

 

 

The more time it takes companies to train employees, the more it costs them. With the speed of digital transformation, learning will be hyper accelerated. The key to achieving this level of speed lies in a combination of crowdsourcing and self-directed learning. Employees, particularly high performers, will create short videos for specific tasks that their team members will access when they need them. Content creators and employees will decide what content is needed, and in this way, learning won’t be pushed, it will be quickly and continuously developed and pulled. To take this sharing of knowledge to the next level, companies should provide tools to encourage user-generated content, analyze and elect volunteers and build reward systems into the process to manage all stages . This shift will lead to a very cost-effective way to teach new employees soft and technical skills rapidly.

 

If you want to read more on trends and developments in the Learning and Development space, we reviewed some of the predictions that were made for augmented reality and virtual reality in a recent blog post.

 

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About  Micah White
Director of Research & Development, CGS

Micah White, who has nearly 20 years of eLearning experience, is Director of Research & Development for CGS Enterprise Learning. His primary research focus is advanced technology for the authoring, publishing and visualization of multimedia and interactive learning content.  He is responsible for generating new business opportunities via technology development, with a strong focus in multimedia production. He has expertise in responsive web technologies for learning, mobile learning applications, real-time 3D graphics (Unity & Flash Stage3D) and HTML5-based eLearning. Micah has a deep understanding of intelligent design.  Working with various IT and telecom customers, he delivers training that can be used on all devices. He has been nominated for a Canadian Gemini Award and won a Brandon Hall Award for Best Advance in Rapid Authoring.