Five Advantages of Using Videos in Teaching

Are you an educator or trainer trying to create meaningful, engaging content but find yourself short on time and resources? You’re not alone. That’s exactly why video has become a game-changer in education, training, and professional development. It’s quickly becoming one of the most effective teaching methods.

Modern learners come with diverse needs, preferences, and challenges. That’s why the video format is so popular: it’s multimodal, blending visuals, audio, interactivity, and narrative to create inclusive experiences that work for everyone.

A 2024 study published in the Journal of Computer Science Applications shows that when learners engage with video clips — especially those with interactive elements — they retain more knowledge, participate more actively, and feel more connected to the content. This helps improve student engagement and performance.

In this article, I’ll explore the benefits that videos offer, emerging trends in video learning, and practical tips. This will help you make your materials more accessible, engaging, and adaptable, no matter who your learners are.

Five Key Reasons to Use Video in Teaching

Whether you’re leading a classroom, training new hires, or creating an online course, here’s why video is a must for your educational toolkit:

It grabs (and holds) attention to increase student engagement

Capturing learners’ attention is tough. But when you implement multimedia learning, you can combine storytelling, visuals, voice, and music to create a more immersive experience that students won’t want to skip. Want to enhance it even more? Add highly relevant interactive elements like quizzes, clickable prompts, or reflection questions right to the video. Suddenly, learners aren’t just watching but also participating, thanks to this dynamic visual support.

Multimodal win: Combines visual, auditory, and kinesthetic engagement to utilize all active learning preferences.

Best practices

• Keep videos under 6 minutes when possible. This aligns with research on optimal attention spans and keeps students engaged without overwhelming them.
• Use a “hook” in the first 10 seconds to spark curiosity, even in shorter videos.
• Break longer content into short, topic-focused clips with clear transitions.

It makes complex topics easier to understand

Explaining difficult ideas using only text or slides can leave learners confused. With visual media, you can demonstrate, visualize, and animate tough concepts in ways that bring clarity and build confidence. Short, focused clips work best — just enough to spark insight and convey key information without cognitive overload.

Multimodal win: Visual explanations + narration = better comprehension and memory retention.

Best practices

• Use diagrams, animations, or screen recordings to simplify complex topics.
• Reinforce key points visually and verbally for dual coding.
• Follow up with a brief knowledge check or reflection prompt, enhancing learning outcomes.

It interfaces with learners in multiple ways wherever they are 

Every learner is different, and so are their learning goals. Some like to watch learning content as though it’s a YouTube video. Some prefer to listen (that’s especially true for language students learning new vocabulary). Others need to replay things over and over to solidify their understanding of complex concepts. With video, learners control the pace — pause, rewind, or revisit content whenever needed. This flexibility supports equity and honors diverse processing speeds and preferences. 

Multimodal win: Empowers all learners to progress at their own pace, in a way that suits them.

Best practices

• Provide playback speed controls and chapter markers.
• Offer both video and audio-only versions.
• Pair videos with downloadable resources (e.g., slides, notes, and transcripts).

It expands access and inclusion

Video is also a powerful accessibility tool. When paired with captions, transcripts, language options, and mobile-friendly formats, it helps remove barriers to learning and make your curriculum truly inclusive. Whether someone is neurodivergent, visually impaired, an English language learner (or just juggling a busy schedule), video brings education to these students.

Multimodal win: Video + accessibility features = a more inclusive learning experience.

Best practices

• Always include captions and transcripts.
• Choose high-contrast visuals and large, readable fonts.
• Provide multiple language options or localized subtitles if possible.

It’s scalable and sustainable

You don’t have to reinvent the wheel for every session. Once a great video is created, it can be used again and again, saving time, energy, and budget. With modern eLearning tools, anyone can make polished, interactive video content — with no film crew.

Multimodal win: High-impact content that saves you time and reaches more learners.

Best practices

• Reuse core video assets across lessons and audiences.
• Update outdated info with simple editing tools instead of re-recording.
• Choose tools that support interactive features, SCORM/xAPI export, and easy publishing.

iSpring Suite for Video Lesson Creation

Sure, videos are a fantastic addition to your teaching approach, but they are not easy to produce. Not everyone can afford to hire a video production agency or buy equipment to create them at home. 

However, that doesn’t mean you can’t enrich your lessons with videos without technical skills or big budgets. You can try a variety of authoring tools to simplify the creation process and deliver great video content to your students quickly. 

iSpring Suite is one of go-to platforms if you want to create engaging videos. It’s an intuitive authoring tool that works right inside PowerPoint. You can turn your slides into interactive video lessons with voice-overs, screen recordings, quizzes, and more; no complicated tech required. It’s a great tool for teachers, educators, and content creators who work with schools and other institutions.

My Journey with Video Content in Online Courses

In my instructional design course, I began integrating AI-generated video personas to bridge the gap between theory and real-world application. Each persona represented a distinct learner or stakeholder, complete with a backstory, environment, and specific challenges. These characters were designed with intention, aligning with user-centered design principles to reflect authentic learning scenarios.

This approach offered more than just storytelling — it created a multimodal experience that catered to diverse learning preferences. The videos combined visual, auditory, and narrative elements to reduce cognitive load by grounding abstract concepts in relatable, concrete situations. Instead of just reading about learner analysis or user needs, students saw and heard them in action.

This approach resulted in higher engagement, deeper reflection, and stronger connections between design strategies and their practical implications. It reminded me that when we design with intention and use tools like video thoughtfully, we’re shaping how learners process, connect, and apply what they’ve learned.

What’s Trending in Video-Based Multimedia Learning?

Here’s what educators and L&D pros are loving right now:

• Interactive videos. These go beyond passive watching. Learners click, respond, and make choices directly in the video, increasing engagement and retention.
• Microlearning clips. Short videos that cover one topic at a time are perfect for busy learners.
• Scenario-based learning. Simulations and branching videos help learners practice decision-making in safe environments.
• Mobile-first content. Learners want to access content on the go, and video makes that simple.
• Just-in-time learning. Create searchable video libraries so learners can quickly find what they need when they need it.

FAQ

Here are answers to some common questions you might have about using video in teaching.

1. I’m a beginner in the sphere of eLearning. What do I need to create my first teaching videos? 

You don’t need expensive gear to get started. Here are a few basics and tools:

• Camera: your smartphone, laptop webcam, or a basic external webcam is more than sufficient to start out.
• Microphone: use your phone’s mic, a simple headset, or an affordable lavalier mic for clearer sound.
• Lighting: natural daylight works great, but a desk lamp or ring light can help if you’re filming indoors.
• Quiet space: choose a spot with minimal background noise to keep your audio clean.
• Script or outline: jot down your key points or use your lesson slides.
• Video creation software: use an easy-to-use tool that lets you record yourself and demonstrate your presentation while speaking.

2. Can I create professional teaching videos without advanced technical skills?

Absolutely! Tools like iSpring Suite are designed for educators, not filmmakers. Many offer templates and drag-and-drop features, so you can focus on your content and let the software handle the rest. If you know how to use PowerPoint, you’re already halfway there with iSpring Suite.

3. How can I measure the effectiveness of my teaching videos?

There are several ways to check if your videos are working. First, look at analytics in your LMS: views, completion rates, and where learners pause or drop off. You can also gather feedback through surveys or quick polls and use assessments embedded in the videos to see if learners are meeting the objectives.

4. What are the common challenges encountered when creating video?

Let’s not sugarcoat it; there are some hurdles. The biggest ones are keeping learners’ attention, ensuring that everyone can access the content, and making videos inclusive for all learners. Technical issues like editing, sound quality, or bandwidth can pop up, but most modern tools offer solutions to overcome these challenges. They include adaptive streaming, downloadable transcripts, and built-in accessibility features.

Final Thoughts

Video is a powerful connector in modern learning. It reaches learners in ways that static materials simply can’t. When built with intention, video becomes a bridge between information and understanding. Video gives us the chance to provide learning experiences that are flexible, equitable, and human-centered.