A Course Without Video Isn't a Course
If there's no video, you're not actually teaching.
I was cruising LinkedIn the other day and came across a post where someone was lamenting the fact that their online course was only video without any step-by-step guides, exercises, or workbooks.
In their words:
āA course with only video is not a course.ā
I think I agree, but I'd argue that the opposite is actually more true: a course without video is not a course. Not even close.
My entire professional career has been in online learning. From my internships to consulting and then LearnDash. I've seen the evolution of how we learn online. Certain fads have come and gone, but content delivery, at its core, has remained the same.
83% Learner Retention Boost
An online course without video isn't an online course, especially if you're selling it. Without video, you're just selling an ebook or PDF or whatever. It's not a course, though.
Research shows an 83% boost in learner retention when comparing a course without video.
This is echoed by research from the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, which has found video lessons produce higher learner retention.
No matter how you slice it, video is a hard requirement for any serious online course.
What about professional course development tools?
Online course development software like Articulate bridges the gap between traditional video and static content. When done right, the content can be very engaging. Video clips can be inserted and interactive animations incorporated throughout. Though tools like Articulate are shooting themselves in the foot in the AI era.
The problem is, most everyday folks aren't using this software. They turn to platforms like Teachable, Thinkific, and WordPress with an LMS plugin. While convenient, this limits the content delivery options, and it's easy to just start pasting walls of static text.
AI changes things, but not that much.
Naturally, AI has its place in online learning. I've seen it used to help with course creation as well as to be a resource for learners (as a virtual tutor, for example). This is great and I'm for it.
But the main point still stands: a course with just AI and text assets is not a course. You need video for it to really have the most effective impact.
Don't Rely on Only Video
The research is clear in that video is needed for the most effective online learning experience. But sitting and watching video after video is, well, sort of boring.
I've seen my fair share of online courses that are just videos with nothing else. That isn't the answer, either.
- Swipe files
- Guides
- Notes
- Quizzes
- Interaction and community
These all help to make videos a part of a broader learning experience as opposed to the only learning experience.
Production quality and pacing of the video also play an important part in the entire learning experience. Video, by itself, is not magic. Like anything, it must be done well and aligned with proper instructional design.
But at the end of the day, you need video in your course. Even if we set aside the research for a moment, no one (and I mean no one) enjoys taking a course that requires them to read a novel ā and they certainly won't pay for that experience.
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