So I've been working my way through STSE2. If you don't recognize the acronym, don't worry about it; you just need to know that it's a CD of internet marketing advice from 2004, and a DVD of video lessons that are brand new. The CD was basically two guys talking together on a series of IM subjects; I would have gone through a transcript in half the time. I stayed awake because as soon as I finished the audio lessons I could get to the new videos.

I was really looking forward to those videos; the guy that put the package together is a professional film editor, and the promotional videos looked amazing. So imagine my feelings when I got to the new DVD and discovered that the videos were . . . PowerPoint presentations with narration. Voice over PowerPoint -- and I was still trying not to fall asleep. And STILL no transcripts.

Suggestion for Those who Teach on the Internet: I know that video is the latest greatest thing, and that it drives tons of traffic and all that nifty stuff; but there are a few things I'd like to suggest factoring into your thinking.

1. Not all people learn in the same way. Some people love the videos, will put up with the jerky stops and starts, and have no problem learning from them; others, like me, have the video go in one ear and out the other, and need printed material for the best learning and retention. If there's a way to take multiple learning styles into account, it would be appreciated.
2. Videos must be engaging. VoPP is a surefire recipe for putting your students to sleep. I was actually checking my email and reader entries while listening because the voice was the restatement of what was on the screen. Might as well have been audio only at that point.
3. Training needs to offer substantive content. On the other end of the scale is one of the bonuses offered with the training; "eight hours of video from my weekend training class!" The first hours talk about the wonderful guest speakers that will be there; then later the speakers are mentioned as having spoken. The most commonly spoken sentence is, "And the how to on that is in the manual and videos we gave you." In over 4 hours of video, I've taken 4 lines of notes. All the stuff I want to know is contained in the material I don't get. In between the bits of stuff I can use, there's the walking back and forth and the guy asking the same question for the third time and the person who just doesn't get it; I'll watch the rest, but the marketer is leaving a bad taste in my mouth, and I'll probably not stay on his list. Training content needs to teach, not tease, thank you.

I just needed to get that off my chest. If there's anything positive about this pile of learning opportunities I'm slogging through, it's that it's really making me itch to just get out there and do something. I'm beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel . . .

There are no comments to this entry.