The Psychology of Visual Learning: Why Training Videos Work 

In today’s digital age, the power of visual learning has never been more evident. Training videos have emerged as dynamic tools for imparting knowledge, bridging the gap between complexity and comprehension. Whether you’re an organization aiming to equip your workforce with essential skills or a customer-oriented business seeking to guide clients in product usage, training videos offer an engaging and effective solution. These videos not only capture attention but also foster retention by appealing to our innate inclination toward visual and auditory learning. As we delve into the world of training videos, we’ll explore how they can streamline processes, enhance communication, and empower learners. Join us on this journey to unlock the transformative potential of training videos. 

What Is a Training Video?  

A training video is a type of video content used to teach individuals or groups new skills or expand their understanding of a particular topic. They find application in the corporate world for employee training and in the customer service realm for educating customers about product usage. 

Chances are you have found yourself wondering how to correctly perform a new task and turned to YouTube for quick help. With training videos, you can access information that has been researched, compiled, and presented by others. 

Video is inherently more compelling and engaging than text; it combines sound and visuals, engaging multiple senses. Human beings retain content accompanied by imagery better than they do audio content alone. This is likely because our brains process imagery 60,000 times faster than text. Even a brief training video added to a course can make it more vivid and, consequently, more engaging. 

So, Why Choose Training Videos?  

Cost-Effective and Time-Efficient: Recorded visual content makes training replicable for internal use, particularly valuable for large companies with geographically dispersed teams. Video training reduces repetitive instructor fees and related expenses like venue, travel, and accommodation. It maximizes everyone’s time: subject matter experts can record at their convenience, narrators and characters can be filmed on their schedules, and learners, whether new or seasoned employees, can access training at their convenience. 

Keep the Messaging on Track: When creating a training video, one of the first steps should be to identify the learning outcome you are striving for. What point do you really need to get across? What is the main message? Once you’ve identified that be sure to maintain focus on that outcome. Be sure that every piece of information presented is supporting the chosen outcome. Adding in too much information or irrelevant contextualization can confuse the message and likely reduce engagement. A great training video maintains focus and attention on specific learning outcomes and ensures that the entirety of its content supports the goal at hand. Understanding the needs of your audience and accommodating them is a key factor in creating a great training video. 

The first step here is, of course, becoming familiar with your audience. Don’t guess what their needs are – do some investigating and find out for sure. If, for instance, you need to create training videos related to a payroll process you may choose to provide basic details about how the payroll system works so that the learners understand the full context. 

It can be a good idea to consult with your teams about how you can best meet the needs of the audience for which your video training is being created. They may have a helpful perspective on the audience, and they can also help you tighten up the presentation!

Do not forget to seek feedback on your training video at various stages of the process. Perspectives and knowledge beyond your own can significantly improve the quality of the final product. 

In an era where information is abundant yet attention spans are limited, the significance of well-crafted training videos cannot be overstated. They provide a pathway to clarity, ensuring that crucial messages are delivered with impact.

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