Creating your own videos is difficult and time-consuming. With this mindset, some participants came to our first session at the Corporate Learning Camp 2016 at the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences. Every year, experts in professional development gather here to exchange exciting insights, their wishes, and needs – a mix of freelance trainers to area managers of large companies' human resources development departments. In several sessions, we were able to discuss E-Learning, learning organizations, and training transfer with trainers, HR developers, and other learning professionals.
The CLC 2016 began with a large introduction round. In fact, it was successful that nearly 250 participants introduced themselves in 3 sentences (Name, Profession/Company, and Topics) – and we at blink.it are particularly pleased that each of them wore one of our lanyards. I have never experienced such speed during an introduction in such a large group before. Interesting keywords emerged regarding topics that reflect current trends in the HR scene: digitization, social workplace learning, mobile learning, blended learning, etc. Subsequently, the session selection commenced.
Konstantin Ristl and Michael Witzke also piqued the curiosity of many participants with their session proposals. The following topics were presented, selected by the plenary, and worked on in sessions with numerous participants:
“Studio@home: Best Practice for Filming with Your Smartphone”
“Offline and Online in Training”
“Mr. Steinbeißer, the nightmare of every HR developer”
As mentioned in the introduction, anyone who has not yet produced videos themselves may find it challenging to approach this versatile medium. In the session, Michael introduced the smallest studio in the world: the “blink.it Smartphone Kit.” With the smartphone kit, trainers create simple short videos using their own smartphones. How these videos can be integrated into various training settings was discussed together with the group. Videos provide added value when they are purposefully integrated into the training concept.
What belongs to the smallest studio in the world?
For a video that doesn’t make the viewer switch off immediately, you need three technical ingredients: bright light, clear sound, and an appealing visual setup. “Seeing is believing,” which is why the blink.it Kit was set up in the session, and the process was demonstrated live. The setup includes an external light source, an external lavalier microphone, and mounts for the smartphone to ensure that the image can be set up stably.
There are a few didactic nuances to consider when creating videos:
Short recordings are better than long videos
Break large topics into smaller, self-contained content
Provide visual support for the content (diagram) or demonstrate something
Incorporate stories or metaphors
How can trainers use the videos?
In the session, Michael gathered various ways to use these videos with participants, which I would like to briefly introduce here.
Informing with short videos
A clear benefit is conveying information via video. Participants can be informed about the training process by the trainer. For example, if texts or other resources are used in training, a short video can explain the purpose and objective of the materials. Training participants ultimately want to know why they should engage with the information and what goal is being pursued. Here, a team leader or a manager could also step in front of the camera and explain why a training topic is important.
Learning with short videos
In addition, short learning units can be created through video. The trainer presents ideas, methods, or training techniques. These videos can be artistically enhanced with brief graphic overlays to provide visual aids. For example, the Sparkasse chose such an approach in preparation for their annual savings bank day for the trainees. Slides from a Powerpoint presentation can also be inserted into their short videos to present and comment on information. Such a video could include a brief introduction in person, which then transitions to a video recording of the computer screen. As trainers in companies increasingly become curators of training content, they might discover an interesting video on YouTube and inform participants in a short video about what makes this video special or assign them a task related to that video. Those who want to get creative can create videos in the stop-motion style.
Learning and knowledge exchange through video production
One participant made the group aware of social learning/peer learning through self-produced videos. This scenario turns the training participant into a knowledge mediator. For instance, a team leader might document how he teaches his trainees to execute a workflow as part of his training supervisor qualification. The trainer and the group can provide feedback on his explanations and demonstrations, which can then be improved at those points. Other examples that arose during the discussion include: a mechanic filming and commenting on a repair process. His colleagues can inform themselves in advance about a similar repair issue. A sales representative gives a short interview about his dealings with difficult customers. Such a video can be shared within internal company social networks with other employees.
The Studio@Home session gave us further interesting insights into the use scenarios of video content. The topic of "producing videos yourself" for continuing education and training remains in demand. I welcome the openness to new application areas. I always get the impression that many HR developers find it difficult to take the first step with the topic of video. However, one can also start small here and gradually build up the content.
What experiences have you had with videos so far? Share your ideas with us.
