Online Video Tutorials Provide an Excellent Way of Learning

Today, learning is not limited to physical classrooms or institutes. With the internet, users all over the world freely access online resources to pursue learning subjects of their choice without actually being present in a classroom. E-learning adds another dimension to its excellent teaching mode by incorporating video tutorials. Not only do online video tutorials provide an excellent way of learning, they also make for an effective educational experience. The videos bring a classroom atmosphere to life, offering perspectives and means that students usually cannot take benefit of, in real classrooms.

Human brains gain understanding through visual as well as auditory sensory capabilities. Voice tones account for almost 38% of the conception whereas the written phrase can only communicate 7% of what it intends to. Voice expresses more than what PowerPoint slides can accomplish as the moving images and influence of human voice is enormous. Online tutorials embrace all aspects of body language and gestures like the smile, the glint in the eye, the crossed arms, the tilted head etc.As an interactive platform, video based e-learning excels in more ways than one:

• Distance Learning: Online video tutorials can be accessed on computers and mobile devices through online streams or DVDs. They can be viewed by students who cannot physically attend the classes owing to their circumstances.Stay at home mothers can learn while still taking care of their children. Video tutorials help save on commuting time and costs. It is a great medium that allows learners to take lectures from tutors who are renowned specialists in their respective fields, but are otherwise unapproachable due to distance;for instance,lecturers in foreign countries. These lecturers on video can provide a fresh perspective to learning in subjects that local schools, often, cannot.Moreover, the distant learners have an opportunity to connect with the peer groups from different parts of the world.

•  Multimedia Aids:Video lessons present a multidimensional understanding that combines slides, charts, photos, visuals, orations, on-screen captions, screenshots, live video and music. This particularly helps students with special learning abilities to memorize information in a more appropriate way. The more the tools used in an online tutorial, the more the means students have to concentrate, grasp and remember information. Several multimedia tools are too difficult or time-exhausting to utilize in a real classroom setting.

• Repeatability: The facility to play, rewind and stop a recorded online video tutorial helps students repeat essential details, which are critical for preparation for exams. In a real classroom, students might miss what the lecturer said at a given moment, but video tutorials allow students to recheck notes for accuracy. In a video lesson format, students can focus on specific segments or watch the entire information.

• Interaction:  Video tutorials allow interaction that provides a proactive approach and reinforce the information that is being taught. Rather than merely listening to or watching the information, students can answer to prompts through their keyboard (and mouse) or retrieve additional learning features. Videos are generally accompanied with texts and summaries of the lessons that can be downloaded for future use. Also, students receive documents with blanks to take notes while they see the tutorial. These interactive features benefit students by introducing them to latest technologies. Students are capable of getting replies to queries from specialists who, due to time and distance, might otherwise be unapproachable.

• Enhanced Brainstorming: E-learning videos stimulate information sharing and gathering. The students can utilize the two-way communication facility to converse with other students or the teacher using microphones, webcams, and chat software despite residing in different locations. This is a brilliant opportunity for students to learn by taking part in the two way communication channel.  The students can feel almost like being present there physically.

• Excellent Skills:The students accessing video lessons on internet tend to develop valuable skills such as speaking and presentation skills, management dexterity, questioning skills, and articulation proficiency. Interacting with different students through online discussions allows students to learn about cultural disparities that prevail across the world and how the perspective of individuals belonging to different locations varies on a specific subject. The online discussions let students interact with people who are quite different from them and hence lead to development of socio-cultural skills.

• Increased Retention: Video based lectures are more useful and effective as they improve retention and add appeal to learning through an assortment of  media tools like audio and video clips, animations, graphics, and applications. As discussed earlier, visual aids account for better understanding and hence, improved retention.

• Enhanced Understanding:Online tutorials work on the capability of human beings to learn from visual and auditory abilities.The visual interaction and connection between learners improve understanding and inspire a sense of connection among them. Being able to see and listen to the voice of the lecturers pave the way for forming a reliable interaction in a manner that telephone or e-mail cannot.

• Graphic Communication: With interactive and graphical communication, online tutorials make it possible for students to learn key aspects that cannot be imagined with primary sources like textbooks. It is easier to relate to information if it is illustrated in a graphical form as the process is actually taking place right in front of them. Additionally, graphics illustrate techniques and processes that are hard to explicate in text. This immediate learning style is particularly useful to visual learners.

• Boost Motivation:The tutorials are presided over by competent professionals, who can efficiently handle queries and motivate students. The students might not get enough attention or feel hesitant about putting forth their doubts in a classroom but they can freely consult virtual lecturers and have their doubts resolved. The students feel more enthusiastic and motivated towards learning once their queries are adequately addressed.

• Low Cost: Another aspect where the online classes notch up well is the cost effectiveness. Bypassing the need for centralized training, the students can access the video tutorials at any location of their preference and continue to use them to their benefit.