4 11 2014

If you’re new to creating video training it may seem like the task at hand is pretty daunting.   There are a ton of resources online to help you get started.  There is no perfect software that makes the job easier.  What is very important is sticking to the basics.

Do not lose sight because you’re afraid of creating a video.  In my experience if you have a table or smart phone, you can create a video and edit it in no time. Technology has come a long way.  You do not have to be an expert editor or videographer to make instructional videos, but you do need to make sure the information you’re getting out there is great and learners and learn what you want to teach.

So, here are a few things to keep in mind

• Understanding your audience (skill level)
• Anticipating questions/problems
• Include a course welcome, what they need to know before starting and how the course works.
• Create an outline with chapters and tasks. Remember to include a few sentence in the beginning of the video so they know where they are.  Not everyone will take the course in order you present it.
• With the task created, determine how you will complete the task. If you’re teaching software, often there are many ways to complete a certain task.  Do what is more logical or those tasks which are more common to your industry or business practice.
• Do not overload the user with to much information in one video segment.
• Stay focused on the topic. Learners typically like information in smaller segments, aim for 5-10 minutes, then helps keeps everyone on task.
•  Keep it simple for learners by making it easy to find what they need.
• When developing actual content, use gerund titles, try writing the opening and ending statements first.  This helps you define what you want to do and close it knowing the user can accomplish the created task.
• Explain why as you progress through course.

SCRUM – Crash Course New Software