Improving Efficacy of Pre-Recorded Videos in E-Learning Courses

Abstract

Since the beginning of this new century eLearning has come a long way. A decade ago, it was perfectly acceptable to just record a Power Point presentation and upload it in the Learning Management System (LM). In 2016, this approach is not viable. It is no longer necessary to force the students to stare at sterile static text. One of biggest influence in eLearning comes from videos. Use of videos has become essential for teaching and learning in online programs and courses. Increasing use of services such as You- Tube has drastically changed the role of videos in teaching and learning. The TED series post their lectures on videos, and now have 500 million views. You-Tube receives about 60 hours of uploaded video content every minute. Proliferation of 3G/4G networks and exponential growth in the use of mobile devices is driving the use of videos not only for entertainment but also for teaching. This paper provides insight into the correct use of videos in eLearning. It provides a series of tricks to increase the video usage, such as, instead of presenting two 20 minutes videos on a subject, break the video into 4 separate videos, each 5 minutes in length. A five minute video can be internalized more easily than a long twenty minute video. Follow up questions in the form of a questionnaire, audio or video recorded responses by students will make it much more engaging. This paper is based on the study of a small sample of students in eLearning courses and attempts to provide new framework to create videos that will increase engagement in the eLearning courses.