Workplace Topics丨Is it feasible to learn vocational skills through short videos?

Abstract:More and more people in the workplace use short video platforms to learn vocational skills, is this way of learning reliable?

In recent years, short videos have profoundly affected the lifestyle of contemporary people, and using short video platforms to learn vocational skills has also become a new choice for more and more people in the workplace. This flexible, convenient, lively and fun way of learning lowers the learning barrier for professionals, but the challenges that come with it cannot be ignored. Is it possible to learn vocational skills through short videos, what are the advantages and limitations, and how can it affect one's career development?

Point 1

Flexible, vivid, low threshold, stimulate interest in learning

A few days ago, the Intelligent Media Research Center of the School of Journalism and Communication of Tsinghua University released "Learning Without Boundaries, Together Here: Short Video Live Broadcast and Knowledge Learning Report". Through the research and analysis of more than 10,000 valid questionnaires, the report pointed out that short video live broadcast, web search, social platforms, books and periodicals and classroom learning are the main channels for Internet users to obtain knowledge; knowledge popularization is loved by nearly 8 percent of Internet users, and it has surpassed humor and humor to become the most attractive content on the short video live broadcast platform; nearly 9 percent of users will obtain knowledge through short video live broadcast, among which practical knowledge such as vocational skills are very popular.

Some respondents said that compared with traditional training courses or class registration, the biggest advantage of using short videos to learn vocational skills is that the time is flexible, and busy workers do not have to be limited by fixed course time, and can choose the content and rhythm of learning according to their interests and needs anytime and anywhere In addition, the threshold for using short video platforms to learn vocational skills is relatively low, compared with reading professional books, short videos are more vivid and vivid, the language is more easy to understand, more able to stimulate the learning enthusiasm of people in the workplace, and easier to absorb and understand.

Miss Zhang, a white-collar worker, told the author that when she learned editing skills through the short video platform, she could not only learn editing techniques directly by watching "dry goods" videos, but also learn the rhythm and structure of excellent short video works, and the benefits were many.

Point 2

Maintaining study habits is conducive to long-term development

There are also people who support short video learning, saying that learning through short videos in the free time of commuting and queuing is to make effective use of the time that was originally wasted, and no matter what the learning effect is, it can at least allow people in the workplace to maintain their learning habits, constantly enrich their knowledge reserves, and enhance their professional competitiveness.

Times are constantly changing, and professionals need to adapt to new work environments and skill requirements. Flattening the mind and learning easily by watching short videos is conducive to cultivating the awareness of lifelong learning and making them more capable of adapting to future challenges.

In addition, the learning of vocational skills is often a gradual process, and whether the reserve of knowledge is "useful" cannot be measured only with the current gaze. Even if the content learned in the short video is "not useful" now, it may provide support for professionals in the future work and life.

Point three

Systematic learning is irreplaceable, and we need to be vigilant against distraction

Despite the advantages of short video learning, some people have suggested that short videos can explain knowledge points, but they cannot replace systematic learning. After absorbing the scattered knowledge points, the workplace needs to organically integrate them into a complete knowledge framework, which is more conducive to the subsequent comprehensive application of vocational skills.

Mr. He, who had been working as a clerical worker, wanted to change his career to become a home appliance designer, and is currently taking live classes to learn about "3D modeling" (using 3D production software to build a model with 3D data in a virtual 3D space). The live class lasts 2 hours per session and consists of 54 sessions in total, systematically explaining relevant theoretical knowledge and applications.

Mr. He told me that the biggest reason why he did not choose a short video platform was that he had a clear career goal, so it was more efficient to spend money on courses and systematic learning. When you brush short videos to learn, there will always be such a situation: obviously open the short video platform for learning, but it takes a lot of time to find the content that can be learned, and you will be attracted by other content - I wanted to use the fragmented time, but in the end I let the fragmented content occupy my entire time, which can be described as "the opposite of the other", which not only affects the learning effect, but also makes people feel empty and tired.

In addition, many people in today's workplace are facing greater work pressure, and can only use the rest time to relax and recover their physical strength to cope with the next work challenges. If a lot of time is spent on watching short videos, it will lead to a decrease in the quality of rest, and may even affect the work status of the main business, and the habit of ingesting information from short videos may also further distract the concentration of people in the workplace, making them lose patience with "long content", and affect the efficiency of work that requires long-term attention.

Point 4

To learn practical skills, you need to avoid "talking on paper"

It is also suggested that people in the workplace can quickly understand some theoretical knowledge by watching short videos, but if they want to learn practical and hands-on skills, they need to spend no less time and energy than other channels to learn. Finding the right learning resources is just as important as the process of "learning hard".

Ms. Li is currently working as a clothing shopping guide in Shanghai, and because she loves clothing and sewing, she bought a sewing machine by herself, hoping to learn sewing techniques. Ms. Li told me that she once tried to learn how to sew with a short video, but she was very "tired" to learn - for example, when she was learning to sew a fabric car pendant with a short video, she found that the short video she watched looked like an "outline" of a professional book , The photographer gave the name of the stitch method during the demonstration, but did not explain it one by one, and there was only one camera position for shooting, and the details of the complex technique were difficult to see, so she sewed while watching, not only needed to pull the video progress bar to watch repeatedly (also difficult to understand), but also interspersed with continuous search for different stitching methods, and finally, it took her half a month to sew this car pendant.

"It's a very time-consuming technique like this, but if you can learn from the master, you can watch her do it from different angles. Ms. Li said. The learning of practical skills requires diligent study and practice, and it is important to avoid "talking on paper"; spending time learning, but the effect is not obvious, it is easy for people to feel frustrated and lose their enthusiasm for this skill, just like a "hot Internet meme" said - "three minutes, from entry to abandonment".

There may also be high-quality short video content on the Internet that can better guide practice, but screening information itself is also a threshold, and it takes time and energy to find them, which is also a challenge for professionals.

Post-90s perspectives

Professionals should make a reasonable study plan and pay attention to screening the content of the video

For those who have decided on a career direction, short video learning can be a supplement to professional learning. Watching career-related short videos in your spare time and absorbing information such as new industry trends, new practices of peers, and various new technologies and new ideas can help you maintain your study habits and better face the career challenges that may come in the future.

For those who are unsure of their career direction, short videos are a "window" to broaden their horizons. In the process of watching various types of videos, professionals have the opportunity to get in touch with the work content and career requirements of different industries and positions, and after they are interested in a certain career, they can also learn about the information of entering the industry at a lower cost, providing more ideas and possibilities for choosing a job, so as to finally find the field they really love and are good at.

After all, short videos are "tools", and the key to what kind of effect it can play lies in people's usage, and people in the workplace need to plan reasonably and use it effectively. The quality and credibility of short video content are uneven, and it is necessary for professionals to improve their ability to screen and screen, and choose learning resources that are suitable for them. In addition, after watching short videos, summarize and apply the knowledge learned in a timely manner, and transform it into practical ability, so as to truly achieve the goal of applying what you have learned.

Post-70s perspectives

Short video learning needs to be prudent and rational

Short videos usually have a strong visual impact and can visually show the operation process of the skill, which helps learners better understand and master. At the same time, many short videos are also incorporated with vivid cases and practical tips, making learning more interesting and practical.

However, we should also note that there are also some limitations to short video learning. For example, due to time constraints, short videos often only cover a certain aspect or basic content of a skill, and cannot provide in-depth and systematic explanations. In addition, the quality of short videos varies, and some may lack scientificity and accuracy, or even be misleading.

Therefore, I believe that professionals need to maintain a cautious and rational attitude when using short videos to learn skills. They should choose short videos with higher quality, more comprehensive and accurate content for learning, and combine them with other learning resources, such as books, online courses, etc., for more systematic and in-depth learning. In addition, they also need to focus on practice and apply the skills they have learned to the real world in order to truly improve their professional abilities.

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