Video is everywhere in online learning. But not all video is created equal. Should you use a talking head expert, or should you invest in animation? The answer depends on your learning goals, your learners, and the content being conveyed.
TALKING HEAD Video VERSUS ANIMATION
Talking head videos are where an expert speaks directly to camera. These can be powerful when:
- Building credibility and trust – Learners often connect more with a real person sharing knowledge or experiences.
- Explaining complex concepts through storytelling – Human presence can keep attention and add nuance that or text alone misses.
- Supporting social presence – Seeing a face makes learners feel more connected, which research links to improved engagement.
But they can fall flat if they’re overused, too lengthy, or feel like a lecture recording.
Animation shines when:
- Visualising abstract or complex ideas – Diagrams, timelines, or processes can be brought to life with moving pieces.
- Demonstrating procedures – Step-by-step animations reduce cognitive load compared to watching a real person with background distractions.
- Standardising delivery – Animation avoids the variability of live recordings and works well for compliance or safety messages.
- Highlighting real world practice – Animated characters can play out real situations and decision points without the need for costly production to film real people or actors.
However, animation can be costly, time-intensive, and may feel less personal. Research also shows that overly flashy animations risk distracting rather than helping.
Our top tips
Research suggests that learners often engage more with authentic, informal talking head videos than highly polished lecture recordings. However, clear audio, good lighting and accessible design remain essential for an effective learning experience.
If you’re a subject matter expert recording yourself, try to:
Keep video short
Aim for 3–5 minutes per video. If you need longer consider if the content could be broken into smaller chunks with a key focus topic per video.
Use good lighting and sound
Natural light and a quiet room with an external microphone work best. Avoid using virtual backgrounds as these can be distracting if you move and the background doesn’t quite move with you. It can be time consuming to fix sound and visual quality in post-production so run a few tests.
Look at the camera, not the screen
This feels more personal for learners and helps you avoid moving your eyes too much. If you need to read notes have these centred under the camera so that your eyes will be just slightly below the camera.
Be conversational
Learners engage more when you speak naturally, not as if reading a script. Include anecdotes and examples to personalise and emphasise key points.
Focus on clarity, not perfection
Mistakes or natural pauses can make you more relatable, but too many can be distracting so do a practice run to ensure you are comfortable with the flow of your words.
Add labels and visuals to video in post-production
Enhancements such as having your name, organisation logo, and any key visuals can be added later but these should only be used if they add value, not for decorative purposes as this can become distracting.
Both talking head and animated videos have a place in online learning. Use talking heads to build trust, credibility, and connection. Use animation to simplify, explain, and visualise. The key is to align the format with the purpose of your content, and not to assume one is always better than the other.
Fiorella, L., & Mayer, R. E. (2018). What works and doesn’t work with instructional video. Computers in Human Behavior, 89, 465–470. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2018.07.015
Guo, P. J., Kim, J., & Rubin, R. (2014). How video production affects student engagement: An empirical study of MOOC videos. Proceedings of the First ACM Conference on Learning at Scale.
Kizilcec, R. F., Papadopoulos, K., & Sritanyaratana, L. (2014). Showing face in video instruction: Effects on information retention, visual attention, and affect. Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.
Mayer, R. E. (2017). Using multimedia for e-learning. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 33(5), 403–423. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.12197
Sweller, J. (2011). Cognitive load theory. In J. P. Mestre & B. H. Ross (Eds.), Psychology of Learning and Motivation (Vol. 55, pp. 37–76). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-387691-1.00002-8
