The Logical Blog by IconLogic

eLEARNING: The Struggle for Online Attention

by Karin Rex, COTP

Which of the following statements do you think are true?

 

A. By 2019, 80% of ALL web traffic will be video.

 

B. 64% of customers say they are more likely to buy a product online after watching a video. 

 

C. 59% of decision-makers would rather watch a video than read a blog or article.

 

If you said all three, you are correct (Source: Hubspot, 2017). 

 

The impact of video is astounding... and growing! Whiteboard videos have proven to be especially attention-getting as they allow a story to unfold in front of your eyes on a blank canvas.

 

Why Whiteboard Animation Works

 

Whiteboard animation, or scribing, is a novel take on video that has been proven to be three times more likely to be shared than a talking head video. Scribing brings a message to life through visual metaphors, captivating the viewer and holding attention until the last scene plays out. Why?

 

Viewer Completion. One of the secrets of video scribing is the concept known to artists as “viewer completion.” When you see two circles and a curved lined, your mind instantly jumps to the conclusion that you’re seeing a human face. Your brain fills in the details, completing the image.

 

Viewer Anticipation. Scribe videos also kindle viewer anticipation by inviting the brain to speculate about what is being drawn. Anticipation creates surprise which then rewards the brain with dopamine. Viewer anticipation helps explain how mesmerizing whiteboard videos can be–it can be tough to tear your eyes away from them.

 

Scribes are Judged Differently

 

If you’ve ever tried to make your own professional video, you know how difficult it is to produce anything that resembles what a high-price videographer using professional equipment can create. The visual simplicity of whiteboard animations puts them in a category of their own and lets them be judged differently. On top of that, with today’s software, anybody can learn how to make a professional-looking scribe.

 

Watching a scribe is an immersive experience, which gives them great staying power. A scribe reveals information gradually, sparking curiosity and allowing information to be processed one small chunk at a time. When viewer anticipation and viewer completion kick in, the message is processed at a deeper level and the message is more likely to be retained. 

 

The Data

 

Cognitive psychologist Richard E. Mayer established that combining images with a voiceover to be the most effective way of communicating information – 50-75% better, in fact. Three groups were studied:

 

• Group 1 listened to the content. 
• Group 2 watched the content. 
• Group 3 listened and watched the content simultaneously. 

 

The result was kind of a no-brainer: those in the Group 3 had more accurate recall and retained the information longer.

 

Mayer’s research also concluded that people learn best when corresponding words and pictures are presented closely together; people learn better from animation and narration than from animation and onscreen text, and people learn better when extraneous material is not included. (In other words, the simpler the better.) Does that sound familiar? These are pretty much the central principles of video scribing!

 

Scribe vs. Talking Head

 

Sparkol, makers of VideoScribe, sent 1,000 people a whiteboard animation and another 1,000 people a talking head video, both of which used the same audio file and provided the same content (a business coach making a pitch for new clients). After watching, viewers answered a set of questions that tested their comprehension, retention, enjoyment, and inclination to respond positively to the pitch. 

 

The scribe video outperformed the talking head video in all tests.

 

Those who had seen the scribe performed better in four out of five memory tests. The scribe was three times more likely to be shared and more than twice as likely to be recommended. Twice as many scribe viewers said they would buy the service. The scribe video came out on top in all age brackets and for both sexes. 

 

Examples

 

To see scribing in action, check out a few of these examples:

 

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vkahn9v81k8
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKlgn-yDBQc
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcft5B1c-JE

And here's a sample video that I created with VideoScribe to promote my IconLogic class: Whiteboard Animation with VideoScribe.

Learn to Mesmerize

There’s something mesmerizing about a drawing coming to life. People are drawn to scribe videos like a crowd gathering around a portrait artist at the fair. In my new three-hour intensive course, you will learn to tell your first story using VideoScribe.

 

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Geeky Girl Karin Rex is an online learning pioneer and whiteboard animation evangelist. Since 1989, Karin has owned Geeky Girl, LLC, a boutique learning organization, where she devotes her time to writing, course development (instructor led and eLearning), and teaching.

 

Karin has authored several technology books, including: Office 2010 Demystified (McGraw-Hill) and hundreds of user guides, reference manuals, and tutorials. She’s also developed an extensive number of learning programs for a wide variety of global clients.

 

Karin is a Certified Online Training Professional (COTP), certified synchronous facilitator, designer, and producer, with a master’s degree in professional writing. Additionally, Karin teaches undergraduate writing courses for Penn State University and is the Instructional Design Lead for InSync Training.

eLearning: Creating a Self-Video with Adobe Video Express

by Jennie Ruby 

Adobe Presenter Video Express is a new version of the video software that comes with Adobe Presenter 10. With it you can record a video of both you and your computer screen at the same time. When you open it from the Presenter ribbon within PowerPoint, you can create a video of yourself and your PowerPoint slides. Once you have recorded your video, you can then edit the project to show either your face, the computer screen, or both. Its intent is to allow you to record yourself presenting your slides just as you would to a live audience.

Tips for Improving Your Videos 

Set up your camera so that you can look into it as you give the presentation. On a laptop with a built-in camera, this is easy, because as you look at the screen, the camera typically faces you from the top center of the screen.

However, even this placement means that often your eyes will be looking down at the screen instead of up into the camera. If you have to read every word of the script, or if you look at your slides while talking, your eyes will be down the entire time.

Try printing your script landscape, in large print, and tacking it up behind the camera so that you can glance at it and then back to the camera very easily. (Think: teleprompter.)

Better yet, memorize the script, or become very familiar with it, and then just have note cards posted in back of the camera.

If you can purchase professional photography lights, that's a great way to go. With a lower budget, daylight is your best bet--but not direct sunlight. Set yourself up so that you face a window, with curtains or blinds at least partially drawn to even out the light. You may need to supplement the light with some lamps. Make sure there are no shadows or patterns on the wall behind you. The camera's back should be to the window as it faces you.

What is behind you? Some of it will show in the video. A blank wall is best. If there are bookshelves, make sure the books are neat and organized. A potted plant might be a good thing. For specialized topics, you might want a backdrop that relates to the topic. If your office is messy, consider getting a curtain to hang behind you.

Check out my video showing how you can inexpensively set up your office for creating videos.

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Looking for training on Adobe Presenter? You can't go wrong with our $79 mini courses. There's a three hours on Adobe Presenter and another on Video Express.

Articulate Storyline: Recolor Art

by Sally Cox  

 

One of my favorite hidden gems in Storyline 2 is an obscure feature called Recolor Art. It allows you to alter the color of an object within Storyline-not affecting the original art, but merely "recoloring" it within the project.

 

In my workflow as an Instructional Designer, I create my own artwork in Adobe Illustrator and export as transparent PNGs. This works out nicely, but there are times when I need to create rollovers from icons or buttons. I want to avoid returning to Illustrator to create separate versions. Enter "Recolor Art."

 

In the image below there are a few examples of icons you might use in your eLearning project. I'll demonstrate how to use Storyline's Recolor Art feature to alter the Hover state, creating a rollover.

 

 

To begin, select your artwork (remember, transparent PNGs work best) and open the States panel by selecting the word "States" at the bottom of the Storyline window.

 

 

Click Edit States, click New State, choose Hover from the drop-down menu, and then click Add.

 

 

You've created the Hover state; now you'll alter the appearance. With the Hover state still open, select the object on your slide. Then right-click and choose Format Picture.

 

 

Choose Picture from the menu at the left and then click the arrow next to Preset.

 

 

You'll find a number of options for recoloring your art, and you'll see the categories listed above the icons. No Recolor means you see your original image. Color Modes and Dark Variations are the ones that give the best result, for me. Experiment with Brightness, Contrast, and Transparency for different effects.

 

These are limiting however, so if you want more, go to Blend.

 

Choose a Color from the Blend section and apply a Blend Mode. These behave just like Photoshop Blend Modes and give you a variety of effects based on the color you choose.

 

 

If you don't like what you've done, you can click Reset Picture, or use Storyline's Undo command.

 

When you're done with Recolor, click Close. Lastly, and most importantly, click Done Editing States in the States panel to save the changes.

 

Here are examples of before (left) and after (right) applying the Recolor feature to an icon. It can always be removed later, and edited as needed. Any way you cut it, it's a real timesaver!

 

 

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Looking for training on Articulate Storyline? Check out our live, online instructor-led Storyline classes.

Learning and Development: Effective Videos, Part 2

by Matthew Pierce  

In last week's article about creating effective eLearning videos, I wrote about video viewership and the ideal length for a video. This week, it's all about keeping viewers interested and the best information to present.

 

Keeping viewers interested

One of the prime reasons that viewers turn off to video is because the delivery of content doesn't engage or appears as boring. The TechSmith Viewer study dug into what makes content uninteresting. There are many ways to be considered boring, just a few of them include: 

• A dull or monotonous speaker
• Content is by nature boring
• The pace of delivery is too slow
• The information is a repeat from earlier delivery of material
• A bad approach has been decided and taken

Overcoming some of these hurdles can be challenging. Audiences can be subjective and depending on your audience size, you may need to determine what is the least problematic approach, without letting the video become too generalized or plain--which will also cause viewers to stop watching.

 

What is the best information to present?

 

Some participants in the study indicated that they actually wanted different information from what was provided in the videos they had seen. This can be subjective as we can't always deliver what they want versus what they need, but we should keep in mind that viewers, especially learners, do tend to have a good gauge of whether the information achieved its objectives. When viewers wanted different information, we found that they were missing details. If the content was instructional in nature, they found there wasn't enough step-by-step instruction. Also, on many occasions the content of the video was not accurately reflected in the description, which can lead the viewer down the frustrating path of starting a video only to discover that it doesn't meet their needs.

 

Finally, viewers indicated that instructional and informational videos were not specific enough. It's easy as a content creator to assume how much any one of your viewers may already know. And since it can be difficult to pre-assess knowledge and deliver just what is needed, testing and being open to feedback from your audience is critical to success.

 

Conclusion

 

As we move into a digital era where video content is becoming king, technical communicators need to find a fine balance between creating videos that achieve their purpose and understanding how their viewers will best consume their content. One cannot exist without the other.

 

The best video will be created by a person who has considered the content, how it is delivered, the amount of details, and even the amount of time to ensure it does not fall flat with viewers. In comparison to entertaining videos, instructional and informational videos need to work a little bit harder to win over audiences; but through a variety of settings, and interesting approaches viewers can stick to your content like glue.

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If you'd like to learn more about eLearning, check out IconLogic's eLearning basics mini course. And if you'd like to learn TechSmith Camtasia Studio, Adobe Captivate, Adobe Presenter, or Articulate Storyline, we've got a great collection of live, online classes for you.

See also:  Learning and Development: Effective Videos, Part 1