Marshall Launch Video Elearning Service
5th May 2016
Marshall E-Learning Consultancy, the Equality and Diversity specialist e-learning consultancy, have today launched a dedicated video e-learning service for its e-learning courses, tapping into the 74% of people who use mobile devices for e-learning.
A preview of the video e-learning course can be seen here:
Starting with their most popular training course, Diversity in the Workplace, the video e-learning courses are 90% film-driven and contains a suite of engaging, amusing and thought-provoking video scenarios.
David Marshall, Founder and Managing Director at Marshall E-Learning Consultancy, explains why they moved into developing video e-learning:
‘What can take hundreds if not thousands of words to convey, can be instantly understood by a learner in a short two minute video around a particular subject. Imagine if the powerful storytelling of the likes of TED talks was put into every e-learning course. The impact on individual’s improvements as a result of e-learning would be incredible.’
‘At Marshall E-Learning, we’re investing more in our use of video and using this as part of the mix of methods we use to make our e-learning courses effective for learners. To prove it, we’re creating a new series of videos looking at the latest topics in e-learning, including partnership working and diversity training.’
‘The use of video in e-learning has seen a dramatic rise in years, with advances in technology means that the filming, editing and distributing of video content is more cost effective than ever before, as seen by more and more courses using video to explain key concepts.’
The rise of micro-learning using video as a popular and effective medium is due to 98% of organisations planning to use video as part of their digital learning strategy in 2016 and 74% of people using mobile devices for e-learning, according to a report from Ambient Insight on the Worldwide Mobile Learning Market.
With 35% of viewers watching more video on their smartphones compared to last year, according to a report by ReelSeo, it’s clear that Marshall E-Learning are directing their services to an increasingly in-demand style of e-learning.
To add to the weight and professionalism of the new video e-learning service, the scripts have been written by BBC Radio 4 award-winning playwright Anita Sullivan, writer of audio drama, site-specific theatre and interactive learning.
To fit with the way that modern audiences are consuming video content, the courses are smartphone enabled and are short, emphasising learning nuggets’ over traditional, heavier learning formats.
The first video e-learning course looks at post-Equality Act diversity training, consisting of a suite of video scenarios. An ensemble of professional actors feature and lend the course a distinct peer-to-peer tone, occasionally breaking the 4th wall’ to speak directly to the audience.
The courses are aimed at anyone who has already completed their Diversity training and is seeking an accessible refresher or a top-up on current thinking in this constantly evolving, expanding and challenging area. As the course lasts 20 minutes and can be viewed on any device, it’s perfect for offline learning at the office, at home or for the daily commute.
There are seven scenarios in total during the course, two are summarised below.
- Only Trying to Help: A male colleague acts in an over-protective manner towards his female colleague who has recently returned to work from maternity leave.
- Only Joking: Three colleagues discuss the possibility of an after-work drink which inevitably drifts into banter and an inappropriate joke.
Marshall also employed Dan Robertson, Diversity & Inclusion Director at the Employer’s Network for Equality and inclusion (enei), to front the videos. As David Marshall explains, having an expert like Dan presenting the videos makes the subject matter more engaging:
‘So often we get asked who is a good unconscious bias trainer and we always recommend Dan, but short of him cloning himself we realised the best way to do this was to film him and create questions within it to create a video driven expert led course.’
Those interested in how they can use video to enhance their e-learning programmes should contact David Marshall at Marshall E-Learning to discuss their training needs, at dmarshall@marshallacm.co.uk.
Examples of the video-elearning courses can be found on the Marshall E-Learning YouTube channel.
