Why video trumps e-learning

For every self-paced e-learning course out there in the workplace, there are at least ten consumer video tutorials online (I made that figure up - but there are clearly lots more). You hardly ever see e-learning used as a medium of choice outside work but you�re beginning to see a much greater interest in video at work. What am I saying? That video has really arrived and we should take it seriously as a self-study medium.

But I�m not completely stupid. I know that e-learning and video are very different media and, as a result, work in different circumstances. Most e-learning is aimed at imparting knowledge or, to a lesser degree, cognitive skills. On the other hand, while video can be used to put across more general principles as well as to deliver presentations, discussions and documentaries, it�s at its best when it�s showing you how to do something. And not surprisingly, that�s what most of those YouTube videos do.

Clearly a video used alone cannot check understanding and doesn't track progress, so it�s not the ideal compliance tool. But it is more engaging, more versatile and less impersonal. It can be used to trigger interaction, both individual and group - and can be blended with more reflective materials such as web articles, blogs and PDFs.

So I reckon we�ll see an even greater use of video in the workplace. Learners like it (why is not always true of e-learning) and it�s much easier to produce than it ever was (though not trivial - I�ll be returning to that soon). While there are some niches where e-learning is irreplaceable, I won�t be unhappy to see other media come alongside. After all, I started my interest in media and technology with corporate video many moons ago and so for me it�s just another turn of the circle. 

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