Brandon Hall Research Excellence in Learning Awards 2008

Category: Use of Videos for Learning

Of the three learning solutions that I evaluated, two featured interviews and one had a complete walk through of a software in the videos:

• The first learning solution used interspersed videos for reinforcing and emphasizing the importance of the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS). WHMIS is a part of the mandatory training rolled out to 15-30 year olds by a Canadian, community-based, NGO. The videos featured interviews of four employees who work with hazardous materials. They had the WHMIS for use but their ignorance and flippancy had serious consequences on their health and wellbeing; one of them lost his sight, another suffered severe burns and so on. By seeing the impact on the lives of four real people who did not use WHMIS, the developers wanted learners to connect emotionally with the material and inspire a change of attitude and a willingness to develop new work patterns.

• The second learning solution was for one of the largest telecommunication companies in the world. It had a series of 33 video vignettes featuring structured interviews of sales coaches describing the activities and techniques they implement to achieve the Top Performing Sales Coach level. Prior to interviewing, designers used a research-based competency model to identify the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of high performing sales coaches to decide the training outcomes. After the videos were used in the training, the company used the Kirkpatrick's model for evaluation. The learning solution has achieved the level 2. This was concluded based on the post training assessment score of the learners. The rationale for using videos as a learning strategy was to have top performers tell their own stories. The real message of the learning was not what a top performer should do in order to be successful, but instead what Top Performing Sales Coaches who are successful actually do.

• The third learning solution was to teach a 3D software for Architecture. It had voice-led videos that walk users through a complete architectural design project from start to end. The videos run in the application environment to provide the users the possibility to follow the steps almost parallel with the video-tutor. The developers wanted learners to experience the flow of the tutorial without the need to switch between the software and a standalone tutorial.

More to follow.......