6 minute read
'80s Time Travel
Making a case for branching video in E-Learning
In the 1980s, it took about 18 months for movies to hit home video rental after their stint at the cinema. Back then, you could never have imagined that one day, every person and their dog would have the technology to create movies and put them out there instantly for the world to see. Now, that your phone is basically a movie studio, amateur video content has infiltrated every aspect of our lives, and that includes e-learning.
The 80s was a time before e-learning as we know it existed, where the only way to learn was to sit in a classroom, listen to your teacher, then take a test at the end of the term. It was a very linear approach to education and when it comes to e-learning, not much has changed - online courses are mostly still linear affairs, with an introduction, a piece of learning in the middle and an assessment at the end.
It used to be that online courses were quite text heavy - visuals, especially video, cost money to source and produce. But as the technology for creating video is now in the palm of everybody’s hand, and as a society we have become accustomed to low-cost/low quality footage through YouTube, we are seeing it pop-up much more in e-learning. It makes sense, as asking learners to read text might push them over the edge, and short instructional videos mean they can half listen to it whilst scrolling Instagram or buying something on Amazon.
This is where taking a linear approach to video learning puts you on dangerous ground. A video where a pre-recorded presenter talks at you for a few minutes and flashes up some graphics is passive - it asks nothing of the learner and they can choose to engage as much or as little as they like. It’s like having the radio on whilst you paint your lounge a new shade of grey. If learners aren’t really paying attention, then they aren’t really learning. And if they aren’t learning, then they’re gonna flunk their exams, and as someone who creates e-learning, that’s going to come back and bite you on the arse for not doing your job properly. But we’ve come too far down the video rabbit hole to go back to expecting people to read - so what’s the answer?
Let’s take another trip back to the 80s. San Dimas, California, 1988 to be precise. Two high school students, Bill and Ted, were so preoccupied with starting a band, that they weren’t concentrating on their linear studies in History class. If they didn’t pass History, their teacher, Mr Ryan, was gonna flunk them out of school and Ted’s Dad would send him to Military School, in Alaska, which would put the kibosh on their future musical careers.
Unbeknownst to these two most excellent dudes, 700 years in the future, their music would help put an end to war and poverty. It would align the planets and bring them into universal harmony, allowing meaningful contact with all forms of life, from extraterrestrial beings to common household pets.
If Bill and Ted failed History, the utopian society of the future would be in jeopardy, so a time traveller called Rufus is sent back to 1988 to make sure the teens pass their exams. He gives them a time machine, which lets them jump to different periods of history, take part in actual historical events, chat to important historical figures and even bring them back to 1988 for a pyrotechnic stage show in the school hall as part of their final oral exam, which they passed with flying colours and went on to save the universe with music. Yay! This was only achieved because Bill and Ted’s learning journey was engaging, interactive, student-led, and most importantly, non-linear. Of course, this was all just in a movie (you knew that, right?) so what does that mean for actual e-learning back in 2024?
Let’s take another look at the problem. We’ve got learners - not just teenagers at school - who would rather be doing anything else but taking your boring e-learning course. And even though you’ve tried to make it easier for them by giving them a linear video to watch, instead of insisting they read something, you’ve actually just made it easier for them to not pay attention at all. So why not tap into your inner Rufus and make your learning a non-linear affair? “But how?” I hear you cry. “I don’t have a Time Machine.” True but you do have something called Branching Video.
In a world where choice is Paramount (I’m getting some good movie references in here), branching e-learning videos emerge as the protagonists, offering learners a dynamic and interactive experience akin to a “choose your own adventure” movie. Unlike their linear counterparts, these videos empower learners to take control of their learning journey, allowing them to explore different paths and outcomes based on their decisions.
Much like the branching storylines of an immersive video game, branching e-learning videos offer learners the freedom to delve deeper into specific topics, skip ahead to areas of interest, or travel back to revisit previous sections for reinforcement. This non-linear approach fosters engagement and interactivity, making learning a personalised and immersive experience, just like Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.
Admittedly, creating branching videos isn’t as simple as getting a subject-matter-expert to film themselves in extreme close-up selfie mode whilst sitting in their old Ford Mondeo in Sainsbury’s car park. This may be the base level for many of today’s linear e-learning videos but creating and managing branching pathways can be time-consuming and complex, requiring careful planning and execution.
Even if you master the skills to create a branching video masterpiece, the nonlinear structure may lead to confusion or overwhelm for some learners, especially those who actually prefer a more linear and structured approach to learning. Additionally, ensuring coherence and consistency across multiple branching pathways can be challenging, potentially impacting the overall learning experience.
But figuring all that stuff out is your job and the more effort you put into designing exciting learning at the start, the better engagement you’ll get from your learners. So instead of watching YouTube or scrolling Instagram reels tonight, get down to your local video shop and rent Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. I guarantee that tomorrow morning, you’ll be exploring software options to get started on your own non-bogus, non-linear, journey.
Key features of branching video
Interactive and non-linear storyline.
Freedom for learners to explore different paths.
Personalized learning experience.
Pros of branching video
Increased engagement and interactivity.
Tailored learning experience for individual preferences.
Opportunity for exploration and deeper understanding.
Cons of branching video
Time-consuming and complex to create and manage branching pathways.
Potential for confusion or overwhelm among learners.
Challenges in maintaining coherence and consistency across multiple pathways.
