eLearning

You can do a lot with eLearning - fun animations, learner interactions, a narrator voice, videos - but everything starts with solid, actionable learning objectives. What will the learner be able to DO after they complete the course? Instead of just “understanding” something, perhaps you want them to identify how they start an action in a tool or perform a certain task. Will they be able to describe a process to a teammate after they complete the training? From here, you can begin to design the learning experience. I’m well-versed in Articulate tools like Storyline and Rise, as well as other tools like the Adobe suite of products, Vyond and Snagit.

White space

When working in Articulate Storyline, I tend to use a lot of white space. Let the narrator talk and highlight the key points on screen. Too much happening on the screen can easily distract the learner. Obviously, this can be adjusted if you move to less voiceover and more of a read-through course, but white space is always easier on the eyes.

Interactions

Interactions are a great way to pause and put the learning into action OR explore something new. A simple screenshot with info buttons allows the learner to look around and learn the way they want.

Knowledge checks

I reinforce content with simple knowledge checks in between sections OR at a good stopping point within a lot of content. This is NOT the final assessment, but more of a way to keep the learner active with the content.

Reduced friction

What is learner friction? Basically, anything that prevents the learner from navigating a course (and learning) efficiently. By this point, we’re all used to learning by reading a help article or watching a short video. Many online courses can be “heavy” and ask the learner to do too much out of the ordinary experience. Cluttered screens, too many buttons to push, too many quiz questions, interactions with confusing instructions all lead to friction.

Articulate Rise is a somewhat newer tool that really helps to reduce that friction. It provides a webpage-like experience with scrolling, and you can see the white space I love, is sort of built in! I add interactions and knowledge checks here, and I will usually include short videos when applicable. It’s a very natural experience. I can create a similar experience in Storyline, but there’s always that “NEXT” button. Anything I build, I look to reduce the friction.

eLearning course length

I’m often asked what a good length is for an online learning course. My answer is always “Whatever meets the objectives for the course", but the reality is that most of us can’t handle more than 15-20 minutes of online content. Think about those YouTube and Tik Tok videos we watch! I try to keep my courses within this boundary OR even shorter, if possible. I can add additional resources if folks want to learn more OR create multiple short modules so that learners can complete on their own schedule. Again, the objective is reducing friction, while also providing an opportunity to learn more if someone desires.