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How to Decide the Appropriate Length for Educational Videos

Determining the appropriate length for educational videos can be tricky at best. On one hand, we hear “keep it short” and then on the other hand we hear, “cover the topic in full.” So which is it? How can we possibly decide how long to create an educational video that is delivering a complex topic? If we keep it too short, important data that would make the training more useful may be overlooked.

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Likewise, if it’s too long, the audience may literally get bored and not watch the majority of it. But just how long should educational videos be?

The answer is, “long enough.”

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This doesn’t help much does it?

In reality, this should help you quite a bit! Educational videos should be exactly how long they need to be. What this means is that educational videos should be long enough to deliver powerfully engaging content, that is on topic and clearly articulated, and completely explains the topic.

To better help you understand what this means and how you can come up with an exact length that is right for your educational content, follow along.

Long Video is A “No”, Isn’t It?

You’ve heard that long video is bad haven’t you? We’ve all heard someone say that long video is not “okay.” However, there are several situations in which that phrase is WRONG!

Students that are learning complex topics often do well with longer videos. For example, a student that is delivered video content in the range of 6-12 minutes in length online can benefit greatly if the content is engaging all the way through.

Maintain Student Engagement

Unfortunately, most students remain actively engaged in only a portion of the content and, the number of engaged students is reduced for each additional minute. An educational video over 12 minutes long will often have high dropout rates and may not be fully seen.

Just keep in mind that students do best when content is directly engaging with them. Think about how you can engage your students and utilize that to your advantage when you create educational videos.

Consider making videos that are not overly long. Educational videos that are over 9 minutes may not do well if you’re looking for maximum student engagement.

Use the following tips to keep your educational videos engaging:

● Narrate the video with a conversational tone. You want the viewer to feel like you are speaking with them or to them. The narrator should be conversational and easy to listen to.
● Use a rapid, upbeat tone. Students especially are busy and often on the go. Educational videos that speak quickly and have an upbeat enthusiasm about them are more engaging for students. Instead of slowing complex topics down, try speeding the wording up just a bit so that the student remains interested and not bored with the dull or slow tones.
● Focus content delivery on the audience. Anyone watching an educational video should feel like they are watching content that was created FOR them. Whether this is for a student or someone looking for information on how-to fix their kitchen appliance, the more you can focus your content on the audience and tailor it to the audience, the better off you’ll be.

Optimal Educational Video Length

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So what is the optimal educational video length? This all depends on the type of educational video that you are creating. Videos for students should be 6 minutes or less in length according to many studies.

How-to videos that are shared on YouTube or similar locations to help someone fix their oven, computer, or some other random item, will do best with a much shorter video length. In fact, 1-2 minutes is the ideal video length for educational how-to videos that are seen on YouTube.

Stick to a Guideline

Even educational videos do well when they stick to the guideline of being about 2 minutes or less in order to make the most profound statement to the audience. If you are delivering educational video content for a more complex topic, consider the next best length for these types of videos which is 6-23 minutes long.

Educational videos that are 6 to 12 minutes can still focus on delivering education in an engaging manner. However, keep in mind that every minute past 12 minutes results in a large drop in engagement.

In fact, many educational videos are better broken down into simpler topics or subtopics in order to deliver the entire educational plan without packing it all into a single video.

How to Decide the Best Length for Educational Videos

So how can you decide what the best length is for your educational video content?

The answer is:

● Consider your audience and their attention span. Some can be more likely to sit through a longer video than others.
● Consider whether the topic can be broken into smaller subtopics.
● Consider where the video will be distributed. Educational videos that are part of an online course may be shorter than those delivered in a classroom setting.

Still wondering how long your educational video will be? Give Beverly Boy Productions a call at 888-462-7808. We’ll help you produce educational videos that are the ideal length for engagement and interaction with your audience. Whether it’s a 2 minute video or an hour long feature, it all begins with a call for production help!

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