Education vs entertainment: where edutainment helps—and hurts—in online learning
Is that video teaching, entertaining… or just confusing? In today's digital course landscape, the education vs entertainment debate is more relevant than ever. And while edutainment may sound like the perfect marriage, there's a thin line between engaging and overwhelming.
Hi, I'm Bianca Raby—former classroom teacher, now Learning Designer, and part-time on-screen talent in my own eLearning content. As more of education moves online, the pressure to create polished, Netflix-style media grows. But here's the question we need to ask: education vs entertainment, which are we producing for—or can it truly be both?
Edutainment and the education vs entertainment dilemma
Edutainment is all about mixing education with entertainment to boost engagement. Think: fun animations, storytelling, even themed mini-series. Sounds great, right?
It is—until the entertainment starts to drown out the educational objective.
I once joined a short course that became a full-blown Star Wars spoof. The presenters were in costume, the jokes flew faster than the learning objectives, and after 20 minutes I was out. The entertainment value? High. The education value? Close to zero.
It was a perfect example of when education vs entertainment tips too far toward the latter—and the actual learning gets lost in the spectacle. This was ineffective edutainment.
When edutainment works in education—and when it doesn't
Let's be clear: edutainment isn't inherently bad. In fact, it's incredibly powerful when used strategically. The trick is knowing where education ends and entertainment begins—and ensuring learning remains the priority.
Ask yourself:
- Does the media enhance understanding?
- Does it meet a learning outcome more effectively than another method?
- Is the production style suitable for the learner audience?
In our Learning Design practice at Oppida, we use video only when it's the best way to deliver the content. That could be to humanise the course, explain complex frameworks, or introduce real-world case studies. And yes—we still want it to be visually appealing and emotionally resonant. But only if it doesn't compromise clarity or cognitive load.
Education vs entertainment: a budget balancing act
Here's the kicker: full-scale edutainment is expensive. High-quality, studio-level videos like those from Crash Course (my personal favourite creators) can cost upwards of 10K USD per video. Most education providers can't justify that cost per asset unless the ROI is rock solid.
So as learning designers, we must be the guardians of budget and purpose. That means:
- Choosing video formats that serve the learning objective.
- Matching production effort to the asset's value.
- Helping clients avoid the shiny-object syndrome of edutainment overkill.
Final thoughts on education vs entertainment in Learning Design
In the age of scroll-happy learners and infinite distractions, education vs entertainment will continue to challenge course creators. But with thoughtful Learning Design, we can find a balance—where edutainment engages, but never eclipses, the learning.
What's your take? Have you seen a course go full Hollywood—and flop? Or a low-budget video that taught better than any blockbuster?
Until next time—stay awesome!