Deepak MurugaianGuest Author

7 Key Insights for Online Teaching derived from 7 Million Learner Views

By | Deepak Murugaian | We help “Teaching As A Business” providers to build online business empire! Hiring for Frontend (React JS) & Marketing

After spending 5 years in the education technology space, one thing we realised as a team is that without proper content and instruction strategy, online learning will not work. Although our creative team have produced hundreds of learning videos over the years, every time we engage in a content creation project, we discover new insights. To unleash the complete potential of technology platforms like EdisonLMS, you need powerful instructors like Prudhvi.

“Else, it’s like buying a Ferrari and giving the wheels to an amateur”

Rule 1: Shorter videos are much more engaging. 

How to Achieve this?

Invest your time heavily in the pre-production phase. Split your topics into chunks of 5 minutes. If its a pre-recorded video, create byte-sized videos lesser than 6 minutes. If it’s a live class, plan 30 minutes for lecturing (Deliver 5 chunks of 6-minute segments). Spend the rest of your time on AMA (Ask Me Anything) or Q&A sessions. 

Rule 2: Videos that embeds an instructor’s talking head with slides are more engaging than slides alone. 

How to Accomplish this?

Invest in post-production esp. the editing process, to display the instructor’s head at suitable times in the video. If it’s a live session, this is quite easy, make sure to keep your webcam ON during all the times. A protip here: Ask your students camera to be ON as well.

Rule 3: Videos produced with a more personal feel could be more engaging than studio-recorded ones or with the professional ambience.

How it’s done?

Try filming in an informal setting; it might not be necessary to invest in a big-budget studio. You can teach from your study room, basement, grab a coffee and sit in the dining or sit in the car. (Make sure to pick a place with less ambient noise)

Rule 4: Khan Academy styled videos are more engaging for tutorials than fancy PowerPoint slides or screencasts.

How can you Produce One?

Introduce movement and continuous visual flow into your tutorials, along with impromptu speaking. Get a Bamboo Tablet or leverage your stylus pens. You can take a look at more video formats here.

Rule 5: If you are planning to re-use recorded lectures from your live classes, please be noted that the engagement will go down drastically.

What’s the Remedy?

If you have no choice but using these recorded sessions, spend more time trimming them. Remove segments that are dragging and had less useful discussions. Finally, design your instruction by embedding in-video interactions like quizzes and activities throughout the video.

Rule 6: Videos, where instructors speak relatively fast and with high enthusiasm, are more engaging. 

How to get this Right?

Practice a lot, do a lot of dry runs before the actual session, bring your energy levels at peak and reassure it at regular intervals by keeping a timer. Try not to slow down purposely. 

Rule 7: Students engage differently for Lectures Vs Tutorials.

How to Balance this?

For lectures, focus more on the first-watch experience and for the tutorials, add support materials like cheatsheets and starter codes for aiding rewatching and skimming.

If you are into online teaching or in the business of training, you can follow our blog to get regular updates. If you require any assistance or information regarding online teaching in terms of content production, technology platform or growth hacking, you can get in touch with our team here.

Republished with permission and originally published at Deepak Murugaian’s LinkedIn

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