Solution: educational video (CourseLab)

Partners of WebSoft from the company "the Solution: educational video" was developed by interesting videocourses using CourseLab. How it was made, Anna Filippenko, the associate director according to training programs of the company "tells the Solution: educational video".

Case of the company "Solution: educational video"

Each of us almost daily gains new knowledge. The person who read or heard new information, most likely, will forget it in several days. That knowledge which was received in the course of practice will remain in memory for a long time, so training will be more effective.

Specialists of the company "Solution: educational video", the Russia's first producer of educational movies, it is perfectly understood and use the principle of practical learning when developing the video products.

"In 1999 we began with creation of the Russia's first educational movie on successful management of the Russian companies. Using this movie we trained foreign entrepreneurs in business in Russia. Today our Videoshop contains more than 100 educational movies according to which students of universities and the staff of the different companies … study"

In 2011 in the company the Solution there was an idea of creation of an electronic rate with video, in view of large-scale implementation of distance learning in universities. Work on the first electronic rates the Situational management and Communications in the organization which were called afterwards practical works began.

Idea of a practical work

The idea was in developing rates on the basis of the shot educational films, having added the theory, practical exercises and by that to imitate an internal training.

As the main technique the principle of "training at experience" provided by the American psychologist David Kolb in 1984 was considered. This model of training is widely used by modern business coaches in resident instruction of staff of the companies.

Model D. The flask was built in a format of an electronic rate. At the first stage (gaining experience) the student watches a movie episode. Educational films are shot in a format of a case and show the situations from real practice of the companies played by professional actors. After viewing an educational episode the student is offered to analyze the seen situation. Further the block of theoretical information follows (mini-lecture) and interactive tasks for fixing of knowledge. Then the movie proceeds within the following thematic module, etc. Thus, we receive several mini-cycles Flask. Unlike other rates in which separate videos untied among themselves are used our movie saves the integrity and becomes the scenario of all rate.

Development process

"Work on practical works began with creation of the training program. As the movie became base of a rate, we needed to separate it into logically complete fragments and to provide pauses. Developer authors made tasks and registered the theory to each video fragment. Work on visualization of the theory was the most interesting. We tried to use a minimum of the text and a maximum of visual images".

As author's means for assembly of a rate we selected CourseLab. We were very much attracted by the clear interface, freedom to design and assembly of a rate.

In CourseLab we could collect quickly all necessary content (video, images, flash-animation, audio), to add testing".

Interface

For rates was thought up the special interface – educational movie theater. The format of movie theater submerges the student in absolutely other, non-standard educational environment. The student does not study and watches video, and watches video and at the same time studies.

The space around the screen can be used for graphics and animation. Thus, the system of the enclosed windows creates 2 virtual educational worlds: the movie which is watched by the student and actually rate.

"We decided to refuse strict official style and issued practical works in a game genre. Therefore it is aware the set of the drawn elements appeared. Standard icons and the CourseLab buttons replaced with the drawn buttons of switching of slides, "help", volume controls. By the way, many of them are decided to be deleted, afterwards, that "unload" slides and not distract attention of the student.

Pages with the theory were issued in a schedule type, schemes, drawings, comics, using the built-in mechanisms of animation of objects CourseLab. Not the standard hero, and specially drawn character – Znayka became the animation character who comments on the theory.

"Another story is connected with the choice of the animation character. One of our trainers suggested to take as a basis Znayki's image from the Soviet animated film. The idea was pleasant to us at once, but not to violate copyright, it was necessary "to finish" Znayki's image a little. Animators from the Smeshariki project very much helped with it.

Studio recording of the speech of Znayki by the professional announcer which was imposed afterwards on animation in Adobe Flash was separately made.

As a body type it is aware BirchCTT, for preserving of "animation" style was used. However, afterwards, fonts replaced with cross-browser.

Actors of the movie became heroes of a rate. The artist specially drew cartoons to heroes of the educational movie which enormously "recovered" slides with the theory and tasks.

During creation of slides with tasks standard means of CourseLab for testing were used: a question with the only option of the answer, a question with multiple selection, a task for establishment of the sequence, arrangement of compliances. At the answer to practical work questions the student can make 3 attempts (except entrance and output testing), so he will be able to see the correct and wrong answers, so, studies more effectively.

Nonlinearity of a rate

"In development process of tasks for fixing of knowledge we had an idea to create feeling of real presence, influence on development of a plot at the student. An opportunity to select "the solution for the hero" was for this purpose thought up. After watching the next video fragment, Znayka offers options of behavior of the hero and the further plot of the movie depends on the choice of the student. This nonlinearity became one of main "counters" of a rate.

For implementation of this idea we had to bring together actors again and in addition to shoot the necessary scenes from the movie, but the result met all expectations! "The choice of action of the hero" forces the student not only to read and listen, but also to analyze information, to make decisions. And, the student sees effects of the solutions without delay in cinema and Znayki's comments.

Involvement in learning process happens instantly due to watching the movie, game mechanics, an interesting plot. Training is similar to passing of the video game or work on the virtual exercise machine since the student studies specific skills and behavior models in the professional sphere. The practical work turned out really interactive!"

Result

Today practical works are implemented in SDO more than 50 companies, business schools and universities of Russia. Teachers already recognized efficiency of similar skills training in a remote format. Many use practical works as addition to a theoretical rate or for full independent training of students.

"At the moment we work on development of 2 more rates: Non-material stimulation and Conflictology. Very much we hope that rates will be published in the beginning of the next year".

WebSoft begins sale of rates of the company "the Solution: educational video"

If you became interested in use of the practical works developed by colleagues from the company "the Solution: educational video", you can address managers of WebSoft concerning purchase of these rates. If you want to test as videocourses will work on your WebTutor server and on communication channels on which your users are connected to the system server, you can send us a request for obtaining demoversions of practical works in the SCORM format.