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As access to the internet has become faster, easier, and wider spread over the last decade, online learning has also grown significantly. Last year, Research and Markets released a forecast estimating that the online education market would grow to $350 billion by 2025. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, online and eLearning videos have shown themselves to be central to the future of education. This future includes the traditional schools that have transitioned to online learning out of necessity, of course, but there are ways to harness the unique advantages of the internet to go beyond what in-person schooling can offer. Here are the strengths and weaknesses of the 5 major types of eLearning videos.

1) Hosted

One possible way to draw your audience to a particular eLearning video or program is by creating hosted videos. Hosted videos draw you in by promising access to classes from a trusted expert or professional, often a prominent known figure in the field. This format of video can be seen through the popular Masterclass and TED Talk series. Hosted videos also often promise engagement and entertainment from their hosts and high production values behind the camera. There are a few major weaknesses of this eLearning format, however. For certain subjects, there is no guarantee that a popular expert will also be an effective teacher, and the videos can be difficult to get off the ground and expensive to produce due to their reliance on public figures.

2) Webinar

Perhaps the most basic form of eLearning is the webinar format. In the webinar format, you create a training video exploring a subject or topic in depth, often including charts, images, and other explanatory media. This format is prerecorded, which means that you won't be able to adjust for audience response on the fly, but there are a number of advantages as well. Webinars are great for when you need to give the same information to many people at different times. This makes webinars favored for job training video production and customer education by many companies and software brands. They are also great for thought and leadership training video examples where a more generalized approach can benefit.

3) Microlearning

Finding their home first on YouTube and now other platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts, the microlearning format is probably the first form of teaching on this list unique to the internet. These videos offer quick, easy to follow instructions on topics of high value to the viewer. They are excellent for SEO and viewer retention, since the short runtime makes people leaving out of boredom less likely. They are also great for breaking a more complex concept into shorter, more digestible bits. Inserting products, brand sponsorships, or offers of other services is also more accepted in this format.

4) Live Stream

On the other end of the scale, live streams almost completely mimic the traditional format of schooling. Because of this, they are often favored by online schools of all levels, which have become more prominent since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Live streams allow the audience to have synchronous interaction with the instructor. They are excellent for subjects where a greater degree of interaction is required, such as classes with labs or complex subjects where a Q&A session may be beneficial.

5) Interactive

Interactive videos are undoubtedly the current cutting edge of eLearning, and they are only becoming more popular as the concept is becoming more mainstream. The central idea of interactive videos is that they incorporate methods of engagement, such as polls, quizzes, and puzzles, that increase retention in the same way as in-person education or training. Interactive videos are still somewhat experimental and may require some troubleshooting or tweaking, but they do offer a higher retention rate of information in your audience.No matter what eLearning format you decide on, content and production value are key.  Interested in eLearning videos for your company or brand? Learn more about our professional production services or contact us to get started.