Reimagining Educational Video Means Shifting Priorities

There is a confluence where the rivers of film, marketing, and education meet, and it's at this junction that we find the potent, unifying force of engagement— navigating the nuances of your audience, fathoming their needs, and sculpting an experience that not just arrests their attention, but ushers them on a journey. While the similarities between filmmaking and marketing live in plain sight, education is often seen as above the fray, a noble pursuit easily sullied by the dirty business of branding or entertainment. And perhaps that's the conundrum we need to address.

The divergence between education and marketing hinges on the aftermath of engagement: are we striving to seal a sale or ignite the flame of lifelong learning? Are we whipping up excitement over a tangible product or an intangible idea?

Film, with its endless canvas of possibilities, is an immensely effective tool for hooking your audience. The world of marketing has expertly woven this into the very fabric of their trade. Yet, when it comes to educational content, there seems to be a hesitance in fully leveraging the inherent power of video to seize the curiosity and fire the imagination of students. Oftentimes, it's the specter of budgets that looms ominously over this decision. Despite the falling costs of video production, creating high-quality content can still outpace the budgets of many EdTech companies. But at the heart of this reticence lies an unsteady faith in video's potential to crack the code of student engagement.

Students, it's true, can be a demanding and fickle audience, particularly when their focus is locked onto passing the test. If we, however, limit ourselves to catering to this narrow goal, we have failed them—for the purpose of education is to pique their inherent thirst for learning and their innate interest in broader subjects.

Video offers us an extraordinary opportunity—a chance to weave the narratives of students' lives into the educational content we provide. By applying the principles of learning science, we can convey information in ways that foster deeper understanding. The marriage of live-action and animation can distill complex information and abstract ideas into more intuitive and digestible forms. Virtual production techniques can serve as magical portals, transporting students to a myriad of locations and emphasizing the relevance and excitement of a subject.

Yet, the skeptic's voice echoes, "students don't engage with the videos we already have." As a video content creator, this query prods me to question: what's lacking in your content? Consider a 2018 Pew Research study which found that over half of YouTube's users were there with a purpose – to learn. This testament to the power of video as a conduit for knowledge makes it clear that our challenge, therefore, is to create content that not only draws in students but also aligns seamlessly with the course curricula.

So, how do we address this challenge? First and foremost, we need to step away from viewing videos as mere embellishments. Despite the struggle to convince students to invest in textbooks, publishers engage in comprehensive reviewing and market testing to ensure their books align with the evolving needs of faculty and students. Yet, video scripts often only receive a cursory look from product managers or textbook authors. Rarely are they scrutinized by the students they are designed to engage, and even less frequently are video prototypes tested among students to gather valuable feedback. The result? Educational videos often fall short of their mark because we don't devote the necessary resources or time to refine them.

Is it a question of cost-effectiveness? Could resources be better directed towards revamping traditional textbooks or refining digital learning platforms? Possibly. However, as we stand on the precipice of an AI revolution poised to radically transform the video production industry, this might be the perfect moment to reassess our approach to video and reconsider its position in our educational priorities.