Jeremy Vest knows video design. Having been a teacher, marketer, art director, author and instructional designer, his company xTrain are leaders in online video training having won Emmys for incorporating award winning television production with software-based training. The following is a summary of his slightly longer post that he brought to my attention today – thanks!

7 Sins of Online Video Instructional Design

1. Not connected to learners When creating video training, have the SME (subject matter expert) address the camera, do not just show screen shots. The more impersonal you make your training videos, the less likely your learners will feel a connection to the SME.

• Poor Planning before the shoot If you are using a SME, make sure they are prepared for the day of the shoot. Ask them to give you a plan that details each 3-7 minute video unit weeks prior to the day of the shoot. 
• Video length is too long Would you like to sit down and watch a 30-60 minute video clip? Three to seven minutes seems to be the optimum length for online video learning. 
• No close captioning Close Caption all of your video, it’s good for the disabled, good for compliance and good for search engine results.
• Video and delivery is poor quality Use a reliable service to deliver your streaming video. This will ensure proper video delivery worldwide. 
• No comprehension Keeping with the basic rules of the adult learning model, make sure your audience actually understands what they just watched and why. 
• No Hands-on lessons Task your learners with hands-on lessons. Keep the lessons practical. Remember adult learners respond to relevancy-oriented training.

Jeremy Vest is the CLO of Splash Media, author of Exploring Web Design, President and Founder of xTrain. You can follow his blog here