Many ways to learn No. 2: Learning through video
As an auditory and visual medium video maximises our ability to process information. Add the power of narrative for memory, and the role of emotion in learning – and you’ve got a pretty powerful way to learn.
Dual coding theory suggests that people learn better when information is represented both verbally and visually. Video does this naturally: narration can explain a process while animation or live-action shows it unfolding.
Emotion matters too; it shapes attention, motivation, and what we retain. And narrative gives information a structure that makes ideas easier to follow and remember.
Richard Mayer's Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning provides a blueprint for designing video around how the human mind actually works — managing cognitive load and engaging both visual and auditory channels. His 12 principles offer practical guidance for structuring multimedia to maximise learning outcomes.
Mayer, R. E. (2009). Multimedia Learning (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Project profile: compliance training for new hires
Compliance training can feel abstract, corporate, and easy to tune out. But at KPMG, it’s an important first step to working in a regulated industry. To quickly engage new hires and make sure they understood the significance on a personal – and societal level – we combined two very different styles of video.
The first were journalistic explainer videos, inspired by the style of Vox media and journalist Johnny Harris. Combining stock footage, animated infographics, and sharp narration, these connected compliance topics to broader public interest issues.
From this macro position we then zoomed into the micro; how compliance shows up in the everyday. We created a fictional series which quickly became a guilty pleasure among KPMG staff. Inspired by Fleabag, the characters break the fourth wall to speak directly to the viewer about what they're facing. We worked with a writer from TV and film to avoid stilted corporate dialogue and to make sure the characters felt fully rounded.
Video was the perfect solution for grabbing the attention of new hires and communicating the key messages in a memorable way – so that each new cohort was quickly up to speed for working in a regulated environment.
Tomorrow, our next #ManyWaysToLearn is exploratory interfaces.
