The benefits of video learning

When it comes to children’s learning the most important part is to make sure you’re keeping their attention. This can sometimes be easier said than done, depending on the subject and your child. That’s where video learning comes in, by making learning visually engaging and exciting.

What is video-based learning?

There are different kinds of video learning, but simply put video-based learning is exactly what it sounds like – learning from videos. 

Video learning can be presented to children in a few ways:

• Recorded videos uploaded onto websites like YouTube or other streaming platforms

• Interactive video media, like educational video games

• Live video presentations, like online tuition sessions.

There are many advantages of video learning for children as a way to complement their classroom learning. Video learning can be perfect for visual learners in their independent study time.  Let’s take a look at why you should be encouraging video learning for your child and the advantages of video learning. 

Why use video learning for your child? 

If your child is struggling to retain information in their independent study, or if they’re struggling to engage with independent study at all then video learning may be the way forward for them. Studies show that people stay more engaged with video learning than with other methods of education delivery, with students almost twice as likely to retain engagement with video learning.

So let’s take an in-depth look at why video learning might be the way forward for your child on their education journey.  

Visual learners

The nature of video learning makes it a perfect option for visual learners. Animated videos or visually striking documentaries are perfect for children that learn visually. Encourage your child to pay close attention when watching educational videos, and possibly even watch the same video multiple times to take notes (in a way that works best for their visual learning style) on a second watch. 

Whether your child is a visual learner or any of the other VARK learning styles, educational videos can be a great starting point for a new topic or concept.

Good for children that struggle with classroom concentration

For children that struggle to stay engaged in the classroom, video learning can be a super helpful tool for their independent study. Particularly if your child isn’t a reading or writing learner, video learning can be perfect if they’ve missed any information in class or need a bit of extra help, whereas reading textbooks might not work for them.  

Improves learning retention

Video learning is more than just visually engaging, it can appeal to a variety of learning styles and keep children engaged throughout the experience. Videos can incorporate animation, sound effects and even interactive elements that help children with memory retention of the subject. 

Enables learning in short, engaging bursts

Educational videos don’t need to be incredibly long. Shorter educational videos can actually be much more effective for children in their independent learning. Short-burst learning, or microlearning, means that children can more easily engage with their studies and also makes independent study feel less intimidating.  This is particularly in the run-up to exams, when children need to engage in a lot of independent studying and can easily get overwhelmed if they don’t have much direction. 

Four advantages of video learning for children

Video learning can present some benefits for children that struggle to engage with classroom learning, independent study or children that just want to do some bitesize learning in their free time. 

Here’s our pick for the four advantages of video learning for children... 

1. Easy to access

Video learning can be done at home or on the go. With access to phones and tablets, children have more ways than ever to access video learning content. With YouTube being a widely available platform for educational content, children can easily gain access to video learning whenever they want to engage in independent studying at home or on the go. 

2. Learn whenever they want

Classroom learning can sometimes put a bit of pressure on students that struggle with keeping up or maintaining their attention span for long periods. With video learning, you can support your child’s studying while they’re at home, taking off some of the pressure they feel in classroom learning. 

By removing some of this pressure, students that have struggled may find that video learning has a knock-on effect by helping them concentrate in the classroom. Knowing that they can find a bitesize, visually engaging educational video on the topic can help students focus more on their lesson and less on worrying about how they’re going to remember everything. 

3. Good for learning at their own pace

For some children, their school lessons don’t cover topics in as much detail as they’d like or the school syllabus moves a little too fast for them. That’s where video learning can come in, as children can engage in educational videos at any time, and they’re able to go into more detail on a subject by finding more in-depth videos or more sources for the information. 

So if your child feels like they need more information or to go over a topic again, video learning means they can learn at their own pace.  

4. Encourages self-initiated study

Struggling to engage with learning outside of school can be a real issue for some children. Particularly for children that struggle in school, learning in their own time can seem unappealing or intimidating, even if it might be what helps them do better in school.  Educational videos present topics in fun and engaging ways that classroom learning can’t always do. Video learning can also be delivered in bitesize chunks so that children don’t have to feel overwhelmed with too much learning in their free time. So if your child is struggling with self-initiated study, why not try finding some educational videos that could help them? 

Including video learning in your child’s day-to-day studying

We recommend educational videos as a daily part of your child’s at home learning. For younger children, educational cartoons and vibrant videos that encourage verbal interaction can be a great way to start working on language, pronunciation and numbers. 

As children get older they can start watching more complex videos for their learning and may even enjoy things like historical or scientific documentaries. 

In addition to pre-recorded or interactive video content, video learning can also include things like online tuition. This can be perfect for children who prefer to learn in their own environment, as like with other forms of video learning, online tuition can really be done from anywhere that allows your child to concentrate on their session. 

Tuition and video learning

Explore Learning tutors understand how to keep children engaged in their learning when it comes to online tuition. Our tutors know how to make their online video learning sessions engaging and how to adapt their teaching methods to different learning styles to suit your child. 

Whether your child is tutored in-centre or online, our expert tutors will get to know the best way to help them learn. So why not see if your child could benefit from online tuition as part of their studies?