Introduction
Tutorial videos have shown to be an invaluable help for education, training, and practice in this
world today. Although learning does 't happen in the same way for everybody, it's hard to get
one-size-fits-all all tutorials. There is a tutorial that works wonders for a visual learner but will not
be as effective to an auditory or doer. Knowing what it means to cater to each of the specific
learning styles (visual, auditory, kinesthetic, reading/writing) and for each instance you create a
video tutorial, you can make sure everyone understands the material.
In this blog, I’ll walk you through how to create tutorial videos that can engage all learning
styles. If you’re creating videos for education, training employees, or demonstrating a product
then these tips will extend your reach and increase learning outcomes.
Table of Contents
- Understanding Learning Styles
- Strategies for Engaging Visual Learners
- Making Tutorial Videos for Auditory Learners
- Tips for Kinesthetic Learners: Hands-On Engagement
- Catering to Reading/Writing Learners
- Combining Learning Styles for Maximum Engagement
- Conclusion
1. Understanding Learning Styles Before diving into the strategies, it’s essential to understand the primary learning styles:
- Visual Learners: Learning best using images, diagrams, and visual representations.
- Auditory Learners: Individuals that like to learn through listening, and retain information best
from discussions or audio instructions. - Kinesthetic Learners: Hands-on activity conducive to these learners who learn best by doing
and experiencing. - Reading/Writing Learners: Those who learn well by reading text and taking notes.
These and other learning styles have their own needs, and if you want your content to be accessible and
impactful, you will have to create tutorial videos for all of them.
2. Strategies for Engaging Visual Learners
Content that is visually engaging, and easy to follow is visual and works well for visual learners.
Here’s how to make tutorial videos appealing to them:
- Use Visuals Like Diagrams and Charts: Add infographics, diagrams or charts to explain
key points. That’s helpful for visual learners to help them better understand complex
information. - Incorporate Color and Highlighting: Draw attention to important information by
use of color coding or highlighting on the screen. - Screen Recordings and Demos: Screen recordings are great for giving software tutorials
or step-by-step processes to visual learners. Have a clear show so your viewers know
exactly what to do. - Engaging Animations: Don't just decorate with animations or transitions — instead, use
them to help humans understand the application. Abstract concepts become more
concrete and digestible via animations.
3. Making Tutorial Videos for Auditory Learners
A well-paced narration and an explanation will be the best for auditory learners. Here are some
tips for engaging them:
- Clear Narration: Be sure your voiceover is clear, stead, and paced well. Speak slowly but
not fast, and voicing each point. - Add Explanatory Audio Cues: Signal transitions or important steps with sound cues. For
example, a brief, but obvious jerk in the tutorial can indicate a crucial moment for the
viewer to notice. - Use Dialogue and Conversational Tone: As much as possible include some
conversational notes or discussions within the tutorial because auditory learners do
respond well with dialogue and explanation. - Offer Audio-Only Options: Auditory learners could listen to a tutorial audio only version
you offer as a podcast or standalone audio to go alongside your visual tutorial, while
engaging in other activities.
4. Tips for Kinesthetic Learners: Hands-On Engagement
Kinesthetic learners need interaction to stay engaged, so creating hands-on
experiences within video tutorials is crucial:
- Encourage Viewers to Follow Along: Make viewers pause the video and practice each
step as you go along. For instance, when teaching a craft, explain they can stop and
attempt the step on their own. - Include Practice Exercises: The video can include added challenges or practice exercises so
viewers can test to see what they have learned. For example, after you teach them a
concept, get them to try that out on their own. - Use Physical Examples: If applicable, provide yourself with real-time handling materials or
equipment to make the learning more relevant and physical. - Provide Follow-Up Activities: Provide views with digital resource materials that you can
download or links to related resources to help them practice outside of the video.
5. Catering to Reading/Writing Learners
Reading/writing learners thrive when they can absorb information through
text, so include supportive materials that cater to this style:
- Subtitles and On-Screen Text: For learners who are not reading-oriented, adding
subtitles may help them follow along with the audio. Show on-screen text displaying the key
points, definitions or instructions. - Supplemental Written Guides: For those who do not want to watch, provide a written
summary or transcript along with the video. Finally, you can add a downloadable PDF
with each step spelled out. - Encourage Note-Taking: Get viewers to start taking notes where the video can lead and
perhaps guide them as to what to note. Let’s take this example—say “Mark this step in
case the final result requires it.” - Provide Quizzes and Written Summaries: Finish with a quick recap or self-assessment
quiz for reading/writing learners.
6. Combining Learning Styles for Maximum Engagement
Now that you have strategies for each learning style, let’s look at how to
combine them effectively:
- Mix Visual and Auditory Elements: A combination of narration and visual aids such as
charts or on-screen text is used to engage auditory learners as well as visual learners. - Encourage Interaction Throughout: Pause the video and have prompt kinesthetic
learners act out the steps themselves as well as all viewers to take notes on key points. - Provide Supplemental Materials: Make additional resources available like written
guides, downloadable worksheets or audio-only versions to serve all learners. - Incorporate Recaps and Summaries: Not only do you provide a summary to summarize
your key points visually and audibly, but also at the end of the tutorial. It helps reinforce
the learning and sustains retention for all types of learning.
If you come up with tutorial videos, create them with everyone’s learning styles in mind to help
you reach more people and increase comprehension, for better engagement. It also increases
your content’s inclusivity in a way that viewers feel they are seeing content that has been made
specifically to respect and consider their unique learning needs.
Conclusion
There is a powerful way in which you can maximize engagement and learning impact by
designing tutorial videos for every learning style. Knowing what the learning needs are for the
visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and reading-writing learner can help you create videos that
more than just being informative is accessible to classrooms or people of diverse learning
styles. So to create tutorial videos that will stand out, you need to implement
strategies for each style: clear visuals, interactive prompts, narration, etc.
But regardless of what you’re creating, it’s clear that if you’re going to have viewers watch and
learn, this is the way to go. Grab these tips today and start implementing them as soon as
possible, and you’ll be surprised at the impact good round, inclusive tutorials can have on your
content.