Learning and development (L&D) departments are continuously searching for new and efficient ways to enhance their strategies in order to get a favorable ROI from their efforts. Video streaming is one such solution that L&D professionals can use to drive successful results and connect employees.
Why video is king
According to an article [1] published by Liza Margarlit, a web psychologist, the human brain processes video 60,000 times faster than text or still images. She believes this is because we as humans, prefer to have the least amount of cognitive load when attempting to process any type of information. Think about it: would you rather read a ten-page article that rambles on and on about the best way to enhance your learning and development strategy? Or would you prefer to watch a quick 2-minute explainer video on what the best practices are for this sort of work? I’m guessing it’s probably the latter!
Your answer is probably why a whole lot of companies have started to adopt video streaming as a major part of their L&D strategies. A recent research carried out by Forrester [2] states that 92 % of the 200 executives that took part in their study on the future of video streaming, believed that their company will increase their usage of video over the next five years. In addition, 85 % of these professionals also believed that video is highly valued by employees. Clearly, a high amount of individuals believe in the power of video, and there’s no reason why you shouldn’t, too!
Why you need to leverage the power of video for your L&D strategy
With nearly 204 million people streaming video online in the US alone, [3] it is probably safe to say that video streaming has become fully integrated into modern life. The employee of today is always expecting to learn new skills and enhance their capabilities, using a wide number of sources and devices. Due to the availability of these mobile resources, video streaming has become a pivotal tool in providing training to new employees on-demand or through live feeds.
In a webinar for the ATD in 2016 [4], Don Duquette, GP Strategies Learning Group stated that video was the second-strongest learning trend. Since then, video streaming has been biting its way to the number one spot on that list. This is largely due to the fact that most employees are already familiar with device delivered video. Also, another reason for this is because of the significantly lower costs associated with the production of video content. Due to this, it comes as no surprise that an increasing number of companies are incorporating video streaming into their L&D strategies.
Video is being used in a number of ways across the board. Recently, live video streaming has also become a preferred method for L&D professionals to deliver instructor-led training. It might be useful to note here that live instructor led training has a long history of achieving efficient results as it employs in-depth interaction and discussion with the instructor. The ATD states that “humans crave interaction, and tend to learn better in in-person environments”. Another advantage that arises from this is the positive affect behavior and body language has on the learning process of rich information and memorable experiences.
Don’t just take my word for it!
As evidenced by the data above, there are several reasons for L&D professionals to employ video in their respective strategies. The power of video is being harnessed to produce successful results in terms of employee engagement, trainee satisfaction and ROI. Companies across the USA and the world for that matter, have successfully managed to use video in a way that benefits them and their employees. You can also use the power of video to drive favorable results for your organization. To learn more about how you can do this, read our whitepaper: "Why video? a detailed guide on how to convince decision-makers that video is the present and future of learning and development”
[1] Video Vs Text: The Brain Perspective, Liza Margarlit Ph.D., Psychology Today
[2] The future of video streaming revealed through research, Forrester
[3] Improve training effectiveness, Richard Smith, Training Journal
[4] When and how to use video for training and performance support, Chris Lepine, GP Strategies