If It Works for 10-Year-Olds, It’ll Work for Your Team

What a classroom study on VideoScribe teaches us about explaining things clearly.

Anyone who’s ever tried to teach a group of 10-year-olds knows how fast their attention can disappear the moment things get complicated.

That's exactly what a team of researchers in Indonesia faced. They were working with fifth-grade science students at SD Negeri 13 Palembang, a school that had projectors and digital infrastructure available but was still relying on printed books and static image media in science lessons. Only 8 of 36 students were meeting the minimum learning standard. The researchers wanted to know whether animated video, built with VideoScribe, could change that.

So they built a set of lessons and tested them rigorously. Below is what they found and what it means for anyone trying to communicate more clearly.

The research, turning science lessons into stories

A 2024 study titled “Development of Learning Videos Assisted by the Sparkol VideoScribe Application on Science Object Material Class V Elementary School” explored how teachers could use VideoScribe to improve learning outcomes in primary science. You can read the publication details here: Research Gate.

The researchers created animated whiteboard videos using VideoScribe, then had them assessed by three independent experts across three dimensions:

• Media design (visual clarity, screen layout, audio sync): 85% — rated "Very Valid"
• Content accuracy (curriculum alignment, clarity of material): 84% — rated "Very Valid"
• Language quality (appropriateness, clarity of voiceover): 82% — rated "Very Valid"

They then ran two student trials. Five students completed a one-to-one assessment and rated the videos at 92.8% for practicality and ease of use. A follow-up small group trial with 15 students returned 84% on the same scale — still rated "Very Practical."

This was a feasibility and practicality study, not a randomised controlled trial. It tested whether the videos were well-made and whether students found them engaging, not whether they outperformed other teaching methods in a head-to-head comparison.

Why visual explanations work so well

The study's findings sit within a well-established tradition in educational psychology. Researchers including Allan Paivio (dual coding theory) and Richard Mayer (multimedia learning) have long argued that pairing visual content with narration leads to better retention than either channel alone. The animated whiteboard format works particularly well because:

Motion directs attention.

When elements appear in sequence, they guide the viewer through a logical flow,  ideal for step-by-step concepts or processes.

Simplicity forces clarity.

Building an explanation visually forces you to decide what actually matters, stripping away the filler that clogs slides and documents.

Engagement buys time.

Students who are interested stay focused longer. Longer focus means more exposure to the material. It's not complicated, but it compounds.

From classrooms to boardrooms, why this matters

You may not be teaching fifth-grade science, but the communication challenge is the same: you have information that matters, and an audience whose attention you need to earn.

If a well-made animated video can get expert validation scores above 80% and student engagement scores above 84% in a classroom setting, the same principles apply anywhere you're trying to make a complex idea land clearly.

A few practical ways to apply this:

1. Turn dense training content into short explainer videos

A two-minute animated overview of a new process or system will hold attention better than a slide deck, and it's rewatchable. See our education and training use cases for inspiration.

2. Replace long internal update emails with animation

Show the change rather than describing it. Your team is far more likely to engage with something they can see. Here are tips for internal comms videos.

3. Simplify complex products or services for customers

Animated explainers work precisely because they strip out ambiguity. Our guide to making an explainer video covers the process end to end.

4. Make public communications more accessible

Animated visuals help reach audiences with varying levels of prior knowledge. Explore public sector video communications.

5. Repurpose existing content

If you have already created blog posts, slide decks, or presentations, bring them to life with animation. A few minutes in VideoScribe can transform static content into something dynamic and shareable. 

When people see what you mean, they understand it faster and remember it longer.

The takeaway, if it works for kids, it will work for your team

The Indonesian study concluded that animated videos created with VideoScribe were both “valid and practical” for teaching. In plain English, that means they were accurate, engaging, and effective.

It is proof that visual storytelling helps people learn and retain information, no matter their age.

When even 10-year-olds can grasp complex science with simple animation, there is no reason your audience, whether they are employees, customers, or stakeholders, cannot do the same.