Video is a powerful learning tool, yet it is often underutilised. The popularity of YouTube (with more than 1 billion unique users each month and over 6 billion hours of video watched during this time) and other video sites, such as Vimeo and TED Talks, highlights how people are engaged when consuming knowledge through video. Video provides a multi-sensory resource, where people can learn by listening, watching and sometimes reading. And now, the use of video in learning is even more powerful with the use of interactive video to provide another way for users to engage. Interactive video increases the learning experience by providing learners with the opportunity to interact with the video content. Videos can be made interactive where learners can choose the small chunk of content they want to watch, they could choose a path to take based on the scenario provided in the video. Quizzes can even be embedded into the video, allowing for a knowledge check to occur before progressing further. In addition to all of this, the videos play natively in modern browsers and across devices, including tablets and handhelds. So what are the tools required to create the interactive videos? Below is my run down on four of the best applications (in no particular order) that I have tested so far.
Klynt (http:www.klynt.net) is a very straight forward, easy to use application. Users can upload a selection of their videos and using the mind map like storyboard, can connect the videos together. Hyperlinks can then be applied to the primary screen, which links to the other videos. An example of this can be seen in the Klynt Demo. Klynt has a responsive HTML5 player that can be embedded in a browser or other applications. It also has the ability to add detailed analytics to measure the effectiveness of your video project. Of the three applications, Klynt has the most affordable pricing option, with a free 14 day trial demo version, a lite edition for a one-time fee of $199 and the pro edition for a one-time fee of $599. Klynt also has the least amount of features, compared to the other two programs. If you are interested in checking out Klynt, view their range of tutorials here.
Rapt Media (http://www.raptmedia.com/) also has an easy to use drag-and-drop authoring platform. As with Klynt, Rapt Media allows you to link between videos allowing users to choose their own path. A great example of this is Deloitte’s interactive recruitment video. Rapt Media has a one-click publishing function, allowing you to publish your video to multiple devices easily. Rapt Media is also cloud-based, giving you easy access to your interactive video files from any internet-enabled device. While Rapt Media has a slicker interface and output than Klynt, it does come at a cost with one quote I received for an entry level account starting at $550/month. There is a free account which you can start building and testing your videos. If you are interested in checking out Rapt Media, view their range of how-tos and tips.
HapYak (http://corp.hapyak.com/) has a large amount of features but it is not as easy to use as Klynt or Rapt Media. It also differs by linking to video files stored elsewhere, rather than uploading the video files to the application. This tool allows you to link to video files hosted on streaming sites (such as YouTube) or hosted on your own website. It has a range of tools including the ability to build video chapters, hyperlinks in videos and the ability to draw on the video – to point out important details to learners. My favourite function of this tool is the quiz function. Multiple choice quizzes can be built into the video o pop-up over the video screen at pre-determined times, to provide an opportunity to assess understanding of the video content. The quiz results can also be integrated with an LMS. A great example of this can be seen in chapter 2 of this video. Hap Yak is also a cheaper option than Rapt Media, with a free plan (up to 5 interactive videos) and a professional plan of $100/month. If you are interested in checking out HapYak, view their Getting Started Guide.
ChatMapper is an easy to use tol for creating branching dialogues and other non-linear training resources. It is built using an intuitive tree graph, with different nodes showing the branches of the dialogue. This tool can be used in the creation of interactive scenario based videos, where the users make decisions and various points. Each node can be set to branch off to another video file, or a specific time in the existing video file. ChatMapper is a freemium product. It has a free version with limited functionality. Paid licensing options ($65 and $495) are also available. A fully functional publisher licence (incorporating 3D avatars) is also available. Use can see full details on the features and pricing on the ChatMapper website. Enjoy playing with the interactive video.
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