This blog post shares about what are the popular video formats used in eLearning.
Do you wish to engage your learners in an effective manner? Are you looking for ways to connect with your people emotionally? Well, you need to use videos in your online courses.
Videos come in various formats. In this blog, I would like to share information about widely used video formats and the advantages and disadvantages of each.
As an eLearning developer, you need to know about the different types of video formats used in eLearning courses. Each format has its own benefits and drawbacks. Here are the some of the popular video formats.
1) .FLV
FLV stands for Flash Live Video. This format is used to deliver videos using Adobe Flash Player (version 6 or above). This is the most popular video format that we use in eLearning courses. Videos in this format are of very high quality. They are smaller in size, compared to videos of other formats. Videos in .AVI, .MOV and .MP4 formats can be converted into the .FLV format, using various software. This format doesn’t work on Apple iOS as it is not support the flash player plugin.
2) .AVI
AVI stands for Audio Video Interleaved. This format was developed by Microsoft. It is supported by Windows and MAC operating systems. All modern browsers support videos of this format. We can convert .AVI files into other formats using conversion tools. These files are usually large, and this often results in loading issues.
3) .MP4
MP4 stands for MPEG Layer-4 Audio. This format is compatible with both Windows and MAC operating systems. This format is used extensively in the eLearning world. We can also insert the sub-titles directly. The file size is quite heavy.
You need to consider the budget and time available to make the best use of videos. You also need to understand the advantages and disadvantages of using videos.
| Pros | Cons |
| Cognitive load will be reduced | It takes time to write the script. Furthermore, it is expensive to record and edit the video. |
| Videos make the course interesting and engage learner effectively. | Low quality videos distract the learners. |
| Videos help visual learners retain information effectively. | You need more bandwidth required to access videos. |
| Videos are very useful to impart interpersonal and behavioral skills. | Some video formats such as .flv are not supported by modern operating systems |
There are many other video formats that can you use in eLearning courses. But, these are the ones that we normally use. I hope you find this blog informative. Do share your views.
