Modern Learning is about what works in learning.

According to John Hattie’s book Visible Learning, he proves that interactive video improves learning retention by 52% vs other methods. He supported his findings through an analysis of 50,000 research papers used in a Meta-study covering more than 240 million students.

Learning should be adaptive to each persons learning style and job requirements. It is micro learning where you can measure the outcome. Computer software adapts the presentation of educational material according to students’ learning needs, as indicated by their response to questions, tasks and experiences.
If a picture is worth a 1000 words, video says it all. Video learning is visual. Todays technology allows you to make it interactive with embedded content such as documents and graphics, assessments, polling, surveys and social connectors.

Interactivity allows you to engage the learner helping them to exercise and practise their knowledge through tests, assessments and remediation. It is about active engagement.

Analytics work in the background using data generated with learner interactions and accomplishments. This allows management to adjust accordingly and the learner to assess their progress.

Accessibility, making the learning readily available is as simple as having the learning engagement on a tablet on the factory floor, a quick service restaurant kitchen or any location.

Engagement, making learning easy to access, anywhere, anytime. Effective and engaging material for specific targeted groups. For example, safety procedures for running a forklift safely made available on a tablet in the manufacturing location. Why does it work? It is about context- talking the language of the targeted audience.

Social Media, such as blogs, twitter posts, news feeds can all be incorporated into videos to reinforce learning. According to Mark Zuckerberg, 90% of all Facebook content will be video by 2018. Whether it is a YouTube, Vimeo, Snapchat, or Ascend by Zavango video, all can be incorporated into an engaging learning experience. Video will be pervasive.

In modern teaching environments, efforts have been made to implement the Universal Design for Learning. UDL is a plan for teaching which, through the use of technology and adaptable lesson plans, aims to help the maximum number of learners comprehend and retain information by appealing to all learning styles.
UDL provides a blueprint for creating instructional goals, methods, materials, and assessments that work for everyone–not a single, one-size-fits-all solution but rather flexible approaches that can be customized and adjusted for individual needs.

Use of captions in video are a good example of universal design for learning.

Captioning videos will not only benefit the deaf viewers, but there are additional advantages, including:2
Lending support to viewers who are learning English as a second language; and, can also be translated to other foreign languages through automatic translation services extending audience reach:

• Allowing the growing aging population with progressive hearing losses to enjoy videos that are captioned
• Offering help to people who are “situationally” disabled, such as those in a noisy cafeteria or airport
• Enhancing the understanding of content by employees challenged with cognitive disabilities and gradual hearing loss due to aging
• Exporting text to transcripts so employees who do not have time to watch the entire video can read them
• Enhancing Search Engine Optimization (SEO) rankings and improving discovery and marketability of certain videos

Why is UDL necessary?

Individuals bring a huge variety of skills, needs, and interests to learning. Neuroscience reveals that these differences are as varied and unique as our DNA or fingerprints. Three primary brain networks come into play:

1. Recognition Networks – The “what” of learning, how we gather facts and categorize what we see, hear and read. Identifying letters, words or an authors style are recognition tasks. Present information and content in different ways.
2. Strategic Networks – The “how” of learning, planning and performing tasks. How we organize and express our ideas. Writing an essay or solving a math problem are strategic tasks. Differentiate the ways that students can express what they know.
3. Affective Networks – The “why” of learning, how learners get engaged and stay motivated. How they are challenged, excited or interested. Stimulate interest and motivation for learning.

Universal Design is an important aspect of Modern Learning. H5P provides adaptive learning via narrative text, captions and also via interactive video.