Online video Production Training

Online Instructor-led training continues to grow in popularity for delivering corporate training. I don't think that surprises anybody. This is not breaking news. It's the natural progression of an education system that defined the product of learning as a classroom consisting of an instructor who knows stuff and listeners/viewers who need to know stuff.

It wasn't that long ago that voice over IP, or VoIP, was reserved for only the most geeky employees. However, that has changed in recent years. I think it's safe to say that most computer users have and use Skype, or Facetime, or some other online real time voice and video communication service. These technologies not only make communicating more fun, but they provide an amazing opportunity for entrepreneurs, instructors, and subject matter experts.

That opportunity is a much broader audience for sharing their knowledge. Some call it the classroom of the future. I prefer calling it another tool in the tool box of the corporate knowledge broker...or training specialist.

While teleconferencing systems have improved over the years, there is still a problem that remains. How do you look and sound good to those on the receiving end of your image. Computers come standard with builtin microphones and webcams, but most remain lacking in quality. Here are 3 elements that will impact your presentation the most.

You need a good location, a good microphone, and a good internet connection. All three are required if you expect to be successful at presenting instructional content online. And yes, in my opinion, how you sound is far more important than how you look. So, if you start experiencing bandwidth issues and quality drops, then drop the video stream and continue with only audio. Your learners can get by without seeing you, but hearing you is mandatory.

What is a good location for teaching online?

Let's start by identifying a couple common yet bad locations. Why do I know they're bad? Because I've presented online in all of them. Just trust me on this.

The first and most common bad location is your cubical. Some times you have no choice and so you do what you can. But for the sake of this post, let's just agree that presenting online from your cubical is less than ideal, and much less than good. So avoid it if you can.