The biggest mistake in education and training is not what we teach, but how we teach it. We've all had to sit through a lecture video that was recorded as badly as possible and could have been read in half the time. We've all had to sit through a series of pages explaining a physical skill that could have been explained in ten seconds of video. And we've all had to sit through "interactive" modules that were nothing more than automated page turners.
The problem is that we just have too many tools to choose from now. Ten years ago, we might have had a choice between a textbook and a classroom. Now, we face a complex decision every time we sit down to teach a lesson: is it a video, a text document, or an interactive module?
This article will provide a simple framework to help you decide that question. By understanding the strengths of video, text, and interactive modules, you can stop guessing and start designing lessons that respect the time and attention of your students.
Where Text Format Helps
With high-definition video and immersive simulations, the written word can seem the least exciting medium of them all. It is often dismissed as "boring" and "passive." However, this fails to take into account the special and powerful role that text can play in the learning process. When used properly, text is not a compromise, but the most powerful and flexible medium available.
The basic advantage of text is its ability to deliver control to the learner. A learner reading text is able to read as fast or as slow as they want to. He can read a paragraph quickly and then go back and focus on a sentence that he did not understand, or read a complicated explanation three times without having to rewind a video and advance through a timeline. This is a powerful advantage when learning complex and/or foreign concepts.
Another advantage of text is its referenceability. Try to find a specific piece of information within a thirty-minute video. It is a tedious and time-consuming process. Within a text file, you can use a search function, scan a list of headings, and/or look through a table of contents. If you are teaching a reference item that a learner might need to refer to multiple times—such as a compliance policy, a software manual, or a medical reference—text is the only viable choice.
There are a few situations when text is the preferred choice for a lesson. You should use text when you are:
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Complex Theories and Abstract Concepts: If you are teaching concepts that require intense focus and contemplation, such as philosophical arguments, economic models, and legal concepts, text is the only choice. The learner must be able to stop and think.
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Step-by-Step Instructions with Diagrams: If you are teaching a process to a learner and the learner must be able to follow along on his own workbench or on his own desk, text is a much better choice than a video. A cookbook is a good example of this.
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Reference Material: If you are teaching a reference item that the learner must be able to refer to again and again, text is the only choice.
When Video Is a King
If text is putting the learner in the driver's seat, then video is putting the teacher in the room. It is the closest we can get to actually sitting in a classroom and watching a demonstration, or sitting on a couch and listening to a story.
The strength of video is its ability to demonstrate something. Some things are just hard to explain in words alone. You can write a whole series of paragraphs on how to do something specific, but you can also show a thirty-second video and have it click into place for the learner immediately.
Video is also good for creating a connection and an emotional response. A talking head can be a powerful tool to show enthusiasm and concern for a topic, and to show the learner that you care about them and their success.
There are a few specific situations when you might prefer to use video to teach your learners something:
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Physical or Software Processes: If you are teaching a physical process, such as how to assemble a machine, how to use a pottery wheel, or how to use a complex software program, then video is probably your best bet.
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Storytelling and Case Studies: If you are using a customer to tell their own story about how your product solved their problem, then a video is a great choice.
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Visual Metaphors: If you are trying to teach a concept such as "the cloud" or "network security," then a video is a good choice because it can use metaphors to help the learner understand the concepts.
When Interactive Formats Are Better
Information is conveyed through text. It is displayed through video. Interactive involves the learner in doing something with the information. This move from passive to active engagement is a fundamental change. When the learner is asked to click, choose, drag, or type, the learner is no longer just a passive consumer of information. The learner is now practicing.
The strength of interactive media is the application of the information. Learning only occurs when the learner is applying the information. Interactive provides a safe environment to apply the information. The learner can make a mistake, receive feedback, and correct the mistake without any real-world consequences. This "fail safely" cycle is the quickest way to learn.
Interactive is the best way to engage the learner because it involves decision-making. In interactive scenarios, the learner is put into a situation where a decision has to be made. The learner then has to choose a course of action. The learner then has to see the outcome of the choice. This is more real-world than a text explanation or a video case study. It is the only way to move the learner from "knowing that" to "knowing how."
You should consider interactive when you have a lesson to teach, where:
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Developing Skills: You have a lesson where the learner has to do something correctly, such as diagnose a machine, handle a customer complaint, or prioritize a project.
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Testing Decision-Making: You have a scenario where there is no right or wrong answer, just different outcomes based on the choice the learner has to make. This would include leadership or ethics training.
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Simulating Real-World Tools: You have a scenario where the learner has to practice a skill on a tool before the learner has to use the tool on the job.
How to Choose the Best Format
By now, you should be able to see a pattern. Text is used for depth. Video is used for demonstration. Interactive is used for practice. The problem is that people think these are mutually exclusive. They're not. They're complementary. A good lesson will often include all three, but at different times.
The problem is knowing which one to start with and how to best spend your precious time and budget. There is no need to build a scenario for every topic. There is also no need to build a video when you could simply send an email. To determine which approach to take, ask yourself three things before you begin.
Question 1: What is the primary learning objective?
This is the most important question. Review your objective and put it into one of three buckets:
Remember or Understand: The learner needs to understand a piece of information, recall a list, or explain a concept. (e.g., List the steps of the water cycle.) In this case, text format allows the learner to read the material slowly.
Apply or Analyze: The learner needs to apply what they know to a situation, problem, or scenario, or analyze a situation into smaller parts. (e.g., What's going on with the network? How do I troubleshoot it?) It’s better to use the interactive format here since the learner needs to practice applying the information.
Feel or Connect: The learner needs to feel something, be persuaded, or motivated. (e.g., Why is patient empathy important?) Storytelling and tone are way more effective in video format.
Question 2: What is the nature of the content?
Review the subject matter. Some subjects have a preferred format.
Is it a subject involving movement, change over time, or sound? (e.g., a tennis serve, a software update, a bird call)
This information cannot be communicated through stills or text.
Is it a reference document, or is it a very complex concept? (e.g., tax law, philosophy)
The learners will need to read, look, and read again, so choose the text.
Does it require a series of decisions with consequences? (e.g., project management, conflict resolution)
A branching and interactive scenario is the only way to safely explore the decision tree.
Question 3: Who is the learner, and their context?
The next question to answer is: Who is the learner, and what is their context? This is important, as the context will affect the way the information is delivered.
Do the learners need a quick answer, or do they need to become immersed?
If the learners are at work and need to repair something, deliver the information quickly, perhaps through a text-based job aid or a short video. Do not require them to sit through a twenty-minute interactive experience.
What are their technical limitations?
If your learners have poor internet access, do not deliver a high-production-value video. Text will load quickly.
How much time do the learners have?
It will take the learners less time to read a one-page summary than it will to sit through a five-minute video. Be sensitive to the learners' time.
Conclusion
There are many options available, each promising to revolutionize the way we teach. Each has a shiny appeal to it, which may tempt us into using it to teach every subject. However, the truth is, it is not about the tool we use. It is about the tool we use to the best of our ability.
Throughout the article, we have learned about the strengths each format has to offer. We have learned about the depth and control offered by the text format. We have learned about the power of the video to make us understand what cannot be explained. We have learned about the importance of the interactive format to provide the learner with the proof they need to move ahead.
The framework to choose the right format is simple. What do you want the learner to do? Do you want the learner to remember, do, or feel? What kind of content do you have? Does it have to do with movement, decisions, or theory? What kind of learner are you? Are they in a hurry, do they have internet access, or do they want to dig deep?
The most common mistake is to use one format to do all the work. A video may not hold the attention of the learner if it is too long, like a thirty-minute video on a complex theory. A text may not hold the attention of the learner if it is too dense, like a text on a physical skill. An interactive may not hold the attention of the learner if it is too interactive, like an interactive on a completely new subject.
It is not about the tool we use. It is about the learner we teach. Every choice we make, every decision we make, has to be about the learner. What does the learner need right now?
