Lights, Camera, Learning!

Lights, Camera, Learning!

By: - Elliott Masie

Video is the single most disruptive force on the horizon. In the next 36 months, the footprint of video content, video stories, video communication and video collaboration will rapidly expand in organizational learning.

We are now seeing the tools, techniques and access to video content radically expanding, thanks to:

a) The video Web.

An increasing number of Web sites and Web visits involve the viewing of video. From news and retail to intranet sites, we are seeing users respond to and request more and more video content.

b) YouTube.

The rise of YouTube video has shifted the production value expectations of viewers. Originally, we wanted our video content to feel as though it were made in Hollywood. Now, we will accept a simple web-cam or even a mobile phone video at a lower production level, as long as the content is useful or interesting.

c) Demand for stories, stories and more stories.

Learners are craving stories as a bigger part of their learning content. Homegrown videos from peers, subject matter experts, customers or even competitors will become a larger part of video content. Stories are also being repurpose for various learning programs as well as for viral marketing and performance support.

The tools of video capture also are changing. The Learning Consortium recently collaborated with CNN to show how easily learning professionals could shoot high-value video with simple equipment. A couple trends that emerged were:

1. The rise of point and shoot.

High-definition "flip cams" were distributed to six participants, who were asked to shoot footage over three days. In just a few hours these participants learned how to frame and edit a cohesive and compelling "story." A CNN video-grapher taught them to take a series of video stills that would mix with audio to teach or illustrate a key point. This was done on cameras that cost less than $150 each.

2. Simpler editing.

Similarly, video editing tools have become streamlined. Remember, our goal is not to produce Hollywood blockbusters, but rather to illustrate and deploy content that will tell a story. Editing can even be done with online resources, such as including embedded links to intranet or external sites. Additionally, almost every new monitor and laptop produced in 2010 will have the option of an embedded video camera. This is as provocative as the inclusion of sound cards in early PCs. Essentially, we will see the shift of videoconferencing from a hardware, room-based, complex technology to a click-and-connect resource. The implications for learning are:

a) Virtual teamwork.

We will start to use video as an everyday tool to communicate and collaborate with team members located on other floors, in other states or in other countries. Watch for the expansion of corporate instant messaging or collaboration sites such as SharePoint.

b) Telepresence.

While it currently costs more than $125,000 per site, a more affordable high-definition telepresence capacity will likely emerge within the next two years. The ability to see - in real size and in real time - one's colleagues in other locations and have the intimacy of shared spaces and tasks will be profound.

c) Video teaching and coaching.

I already give about 30 percent of my keynote presentations via video - sometimes at 2 o'clock in the morning to Asia. Watch for the rise of video teaching and coaching from distributed experts who will be available on short notice for short segments of high-intensity teaching.

d) Blended video modes.

I recently led a session that blended real-time video from the live group with captured video elements and had a desktop ability to launch these "clips" with ease. I also captured live conversations to use in future sessions.

e) Repurposing content.

We will begin to create video content from almost every event. For example, I recently interviewed Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, the pilot who safely landed a passenger plane on the Hudson River; the short video clip I published from that live session has been viewed by more than 9,000 people.

Yes, video will change some of what we do as learning professionals. It is critically important for learning leaders to become more comfortable, experimental and skillful when deploying video content, video stories and video communication. With limited travel budgets and a video-hungry workforce, this is a no-brainer in terms of low-cost technology and innovation.

[About the Author: Elliott Masie is the chair and CLO of The Masie Center's Learning Consortium.]