Video Based Learning is Superior
Did you know that YouTube is the 2nd largest search engine in the world? Of course, google is number one. But at the top of every google search is a list of available videos about your search topic. Why is this? Its because these search-engine providers realize that video format is the optimal learning platform for people. People use videos to learn information every day when they are sitting in their living rooms and there is an enormous trend happening in the workplace too.
Let’s compare the various methods of training starting with no training at all. I think we can all agree that this is the worst of the options because people will still learn but, they use a trial-and-error approach. Let me emphasis the word "error" in the phrase trial-and-error. Errors are expensive in the workplace, so let’s take this option completely off the table.
Next let’s talk about inhouse lecture style training. Besides the high price tag, in-house training either through a consultant or an in-house trainer, is only moderately effective and moderately flexible. In-house training is difficult to coordinate and because of this, the training is provided in big chunks, usually in full-day or full-week sessions. After a short time, the students’ minds start to drift off and distractions arise. Instructors try to counter this by intermixing some classroom exercises, but that approach doesn’t hold the students' attention all day long. Furthermore, in-house classroom is not very flexible. Typically, the schedule and pace of training is set by the instructor, not by each individual student.
Well, what about books, and literature? Well, I love reading books, both fiction and non-fiction, but that’s because books have a storyline, and they keep my interest. But workplace information is often dry and difficult to absorb. ISO auditors thrive on this problem because workplace documents such as policies, procedures and work instructions are difficult to read and absorb, and so often the information is not put into practice. Additionally, reading is time consuming. Reading a book takes many more hours than watching the movie because movies.
Which brings us to our last training option which is video-based training. Video training brings the most value to an organization and here’s why. First, it’s effective. Video based training can be administered is small digestible pieces, such as 20-minute segments like Ted Talks. You see 20-minutes is a time frame well within the average adult’s attention span. There’s no doubt that video-based training wins on effectiveness because the format is easy for people to digest, they are visually appealing, the sessions can be short, and they can be paused and rewatched a 2nd and 3rd time.
Flexibility-wise, video training wins again. You see video training works around the individual’s schedule, their workplace interruptions, and their own attention spans. Each student can view the training when it works best for them. They can pause the video when they get a phone call, and they can rewatch critical parts a second time. You can’t do this with in classroom, lecture style training.
Regarding affordability, Video based training is on the playing field with literature. Video training is much more affordable than in-house classroom training because of the high cost of the instructor. Plus, video-based training lasts forever. Classroom training ends when the instructor is done, and his words fly right out the window never to be heard again. So, the same course needs to be offered again and again and if the instructor leaves the company, all bets are off. But with video everyone hears the same source material year-after-year. Video training is more cost effective because the production costs of creating the video is a one-time cost.
It's clear that video-based training is the superior format in a workplace environment and it can be optimized further through the implementation of the WELSE Cycle of Leadership Development.
Tools for the Trenches provides both an e-learning platform and the WELSE Cycle to ensure that manufacturing supervisors become manufacturing experts!
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