Obstructions in using video

cost of production, schedule, and bandwidth are reasons why instructional designers might not use video. If you have a course that requires frequent updating video is not the best way to go.

Everything Nancy said. 

Agree with Nancy, video Is nice to have, but most budgets do not stretch to it.

Thanks, and if you had some budget to spend on video, what would be the video format that has priority?  (course introduction, testimonial, explainer animation, live spokesperson...?)

It would depend on what the course needed so there is no one main format or priority.

Just like with any other media, part of the work of the Education Technologist, Instructional Designer, Elearning Developer and/or Learning Engineer, consists in defining what is the best, most effective, efficient, adequate and affordable media to use for a given learning event.

Here are a few reasons not to use video:

• Video is passive - you can add interactivity in some videos, but the purpose of video is to, well, just watch the video. Simulations with screenshots of software are more effective. Interactive scenarios also encourage engagement and decision making.
• The longevity of the video may be very short - typically, there are many instances in which a video production becomes obsolete or in need of updating, fairly fast. The reasons for that vary (these are things that I have experienced with video):
  • New software versions, changes in recorded web pages, interface changes, that is the case when people want recorded videos of software, web pages, portals, apps or interfaces in general.
  • People in the video no longer work in the place (or worse, we had to redo an entire portion of a video because an employee who was significantly featured in the video was fired for doing a lot of inappropriate things).
  • After creating the video they realize that it's horrible from a diversity and inclusion perspective
• Video is costly - Equipment, production, recording, editing, producing, maintaining, etc, are all costly. In many instances there's no budget enough (or no budget at all!) for producing a video. That is not to mention when specific permits or gaining access to specific places or people become a separate project.
• Video is abused - the moment word goes out that we can produce video, everybody in the organization wants/need a video. I have gotten requests for videos on a number of tasks that just not only don't require a video production, but can be accomplished with a simple job aid that already exists.

It's not just the cost of production; many times video is just not the right media for the project at hand.

Thanks a lot for your time and insight on this!