I read a great blog recently by Ethan Edward of Allen Interactions,  Improving Your e-Learning Designs: What I Learned from a Flower . In the article Ethan focuses on a story from his youth about a night-blooming cactus. He compares the lessons learned from that cactus to how we can create effective learning events with the elearning courses we design and build.

He focuses on three main principles:

Distinctiveness – Our elearning courses must have meaning and be a memorable experience for our learners.

Concrete, Real-World Context – Our content needs to focus on our learner’s performance.

Just-In-Time – Our elearning needs to be timely…not weeks in advance. The learners who complete our training need to be able to apply it as soon as possible.

Ultimately, it is our responsibility as elearning designers, to create courses that are applicable and timely for our learners. Our courses should not be an information dump of facts, figures, processes, etc. If the content is meaningful and concrete, our learners will find the learning experience beneficial.

We have all had project “kick-off” meetings with Subject Matter Experts where they do an information “dump”. They share with us anything and everything they have ever learned about the topic. We are then left reviewing all the content/information that has been given to us and try to determine what is “Nice to Know” and what is “Need to Know”. Of course to the SME, all of the content is “Need to Know”, so it is our job to ask the right questions to sort through all the information.

In Diane Elkin’s blog post Negotiating Out “Nice-to-Know” Information, she touches on some key concepts/questions we should all practice when working with SMEs.

1.  Just because the “SME says so”, is not a good reason for including unnecessary content in a course. You are the Instructional Designer and your job is to work with your SME to help them understand that only content that leads to improved performance is “Need to Know” information.

2.  Be careful with the questions you ask your SMEs. Questions like, “Do they need to know this?” or “Do we need to include this?”, will most often result in a YES answer. Thus making it harder for you to convince your SME that the information may not necessarily need to be included in the course.

3.  Ask better questions like:

“Can you give me an example of when this would come up on the job?”

“Would there ever be a situation where they’ll need to rely on this information?”

“What would happen if someone DIDN’T learn this information?”

These types of performance-based questions are going to help guide your SME in considering how the learners are going to apply the information they learn in the course to their everyday jobs. If they cannot apply the information, then is it really “Need to Know” information that should be included in the course?

Previously we have talked about when we should test learners . Now let’s focus on writing successful test questions that support course objectives.

Keep these tips in mind when writing test questions:

Write test questions first.

Once your course objectives are defined, write your test questions before writing your course content. This prevents the trap most of us have fallen into of writing test questions as an afterthought once the course is completed.

Create a question bank.

Create a bank of test questions to choose from. If a learner has to complete the test multiple times, they will receive different test questions each time.

Randomize questions and answers.

When designing your test questions, randomize the answers…so learners cannot memorize the order of the answers in the event they do not pass the test the first time.

Remember, if you use answers such as “All of the Above” or “Both A and B”, then don’t randomize the answers.

Questions should challenge your learners…but not trick them!

Test questions should test learners knowledge, so make them challenging. Do not create “trick” questions…these can be very frustrating for the learner and ultimately sabotage your purpose for testing.

Are your test questions answered in the course content?

Always make sure that the answers to your test questions are included in your course content somewhere (audio, video, graphics, on screen text, etc.). If there are any that are not, then be sure to let the learner know that the question is a “stretch question”.

Remediation.

All test questions should include remediation. Make each test question a learning opportunity even if they get it wrong.

Expected behaviors or results.

What are the expected behaviors of your learners once they have completed the course? Focus your test questions on these behaviors. What do you expect the learner to be able to do/know as a result of completing this course?

There are many things to think about when creating an eLearning team and creating online training. This posts list 10 DOs and DON’Ts to consider when building your next team and course. It isn’t a complete list but it does cover the main bases. You can also checkout the animated presentation.

Feel free to leave comments on sections that we should add.

1. Old PowerPoint decks kind-of stink
Now-a-days, almost every training course has a PowerPoint (PPT). This PPT is used during class to help the trainer stay on course and to provide some information to the learner. Let’s just come out in the open and say it, Classroom PPTs should not be put online and called eLearning. Now don’t get me wrong, they do have their place as a valuable source of information and can help jump-start an eLearning course. Online courses need to be more than just online reading. They should engage, challenge, inform, and test the learner. A PPT can be restructured to be more than just slides with text. With a little instructional design they can turn into true online learning.
2. Hiring the right talent makes a huge difference (SME, ID, and Design)
Just because someone is an expert at selling the product doesn’t mean that they can design training. It takes various skills to create effective online training. Let’s discuss some of the major roles involved. You may be lucky enough to find all of these in one person or you may need to build a team.
Subject matter expert (SME)
This person is the expert about the product, process, etc. Every thing that a new person needs to know is in the SMEs head. The SMEs responsibility is to somehow get this information into the training. SMEs also become critical to the process of reviewing the course for accuracy and letting people know when there needs to be updates.

Instructional Designer (ID)
The ID is in charge of getting all of the information out of the SMEs head. This is often done through interviews, researching knowledge bases, observation, and at times, bribery. Once the information is obtained it must be structured and laid out in a way that makes sense to new learners. Outlines and storyboards are created, text is written, processes are documented, and the course is created on paper.

Designer
The designer must take the paper concept of the course and make it come to life. This includes knowing the software needed to create graphics, build quizzes, design interactive games/challenges, develop course navigation/tracking and more. The designer often knows both the graphic design side as well as the back-end coding. This person works closely with the ID to ensure that the course is instructionally sound.

3. Smaller chunks are easier to digest
We’ve all gone to a website or opened a document and been in utter shock at how much text and information suddenly appeared. Our minds suddenly turn off and we close the documents or quickly navigate to another page. The truth is that learners usually don’t thoroughly read online content. They scan! So, the challenge becomes, how do we make them scan the information that we want them to learn? Well, the answer is chunking. Just feed the learners a little bit at a time. Start with the basic concepts and build upon them. If a page seems to have a lot of text and information, find a good place to cut it into 2 pages. As a learner clicks through pages it also gives the feeling of accomplishment and progression.
A few tips:

• Use bullet points. Everyone will scan bullets.
• Break things into steps. If the information happens in a sequence then number it.
• Always think about the information from the perspective of the new learner (your audience). What should they know 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.?
• Find ways to rewrite sentences to be more concise.

4. Brand your training so it looks like your training
When a learner launches your online course they should know that it belongs to your company. The colors, styles, logo, etc. should match your company’s branding. Many times this shouldn’t be too hard if you contact the marketing group and ask for some fonts, color swatches, and image files. Many of the current authoring software allows you to create your own color scheme. The training interface can match your company’s colors and have the logo.

5. Create hands-on demos for real-life practice
Many people learn by actually trying out the system …. a hands-on approach. Online training is a great way to give learners a way to try out a system without being live. You can recreate a series of steps in a software transaction and package it as a simulation. Many times you can also get test data from the developers to use as sample customer information to ensure that your simulations have populated screens.

Learners can have three options:

• Sit back and watch a demonstration of how the software works.
• Be prompted where to click and how to navigate the software.
• Be tested to see if they can use the software without any help.

It is basically the Tell them, Show Them, Let Them Do It approach. Simulations are a great way to let learners practice in a safe environment.

6. Use meaningful graphics, not gratuitous images
We’ve all heard the phrase, a picture is worth a thousand words. Graphics are great training tools and can make the difference between an average course and a great course. The true test of a graphic: Can the learner look at the image and understand the concept of the training page without reading the text?Graphics come in many different shapes and sizes. They are more than just a picture of a person or a business office. Graphics can portray steps in a process, pieces of a concept, interaction between people, emotion, and much more.Just because there is some open space on a page does not mean that a gratuitous image must be present. White space is ok. Find a way to create an image that adds to the learning.

7. Have standards and be consistent (colors, fonts, sizes, layout, design)
Standards are a critical part of every course. Learners need our help to learn. So how do standards do that? We’ve all seen websites that use every color known to man and every font that was available. The reader is more worried about the colors/fonts than what is actually written. Standards can help learner know what is important and what we want them to do. It helps them focus and they become accustomed to the standards as they take each course.
Here are some examples:

• Bolding: Decide how to use bolding. Is it to emphasize, headings, sections, actions, etc.?
• Italics: Are hyperlinks italicized? What about names of documents, screens, and systems?
• Fonts: Choose 2-3 fonts and decide which one is for headings, body text, and possibly image design.
• Colors: Find colors that contrast well. There are many different websites that help create color schemes and check contrast. Just a hint, stay away from lime and purple text.
• Layout: Design 5-10 different layouts and let the team use them. This saves time because each page doesn’t have to be custom designed each time. It also trains the learner to know how to understand your pages.
• Grammar and tense: Are you talking directly to the learner? Past tense or present tense (maybe future)?

By using standards you will help your learners know what to focus on during your course. They won’t be distracted by the aesthetics or letters.

8. Using scenarios and case studies will create real-life, meaningful connections
The course needs to tie the learner to real life. If you’re fast food workers need to learn about how to effectively handle angry customers, then interview a few employees and get real examples. Customize the course to your audience. Learners want to be challenged. Don’t just give away the answers. Make them think. Let’s say that you’re doing a course on small business banking products. Instead of having a course that just lists the features/benefits of each product why not make is a case study? Have the learner read a quick background on a company and give them a problem to resolve.”The company has recently opened 3 new offices and a launched a new website. What products might help this company process customers payments?” The learner could then explore the course and learn about the bank’s products. We all learn best when we’re interested in the topic. The course must give us something that we can use in real-life.

9. Using learning games will keep things fun and engaging
Find different ways to liven up the course and to have learners do more than just read. Games (GameShow, Millionaire, puzzles, challenges, etc.) will help engage the learners and make them think. Think of ways to teach by letting someone do a game instead of just telling them what you want them to know.

10. Certify participants knowledge through scored tests and evaluations
Tests/assessments are a great way to see if anything was actually learned. Online authoring software makes it easy to create quizzes/tests. Many different types of questions are available from simple true/false and multiple choice, to drag-and-drop and matching. You can also create screen shots of systems or processes and have a learner click the correct button or area of the picture. Tests can also include case studies and system simulations. Once a learner is finished with the test the score is automatically calculated and custom feedback can appear based on the score. You may want someone to retake the test if they scored below a certain score. Or you may want a person to be able to print a certificate when they score 90% or higher.

The Learning eXplosion , by Matthew Murdoch and Treion Muller, is a great read that steps you through how to successfully move your classroom instructor-led training into the virtual classroom. The book specifically focuses on 9 Rules for Creating Effective Virtual Training:

1. The Rule of Continual Change – Learners and designers must always be prepared for change.

2. The Rule of Knowledge Transfer – When transitioning from instructor-led classroom to virtual classrooms, be prepared to think through a new approach to the training delivery, content, timing, etc.

3. The Rule of Learning Circuitry – Follow the 5 steps to create a successful learning circuit.

4. The Rule of Overcoming Bias – By eliminating people’s fears of change, you can overcome their bias.

5. The Rule of Virtual Accountability – The 3 parts of the virtual accountability model are: Verbal, Visual, and Kinesthetic.

6. The Rule of Personal Practice – To be an effective virtual trainer, you must practice your presentations!

7. The Rule of Thumbs-Up – Make it easy for learners to give you feedback that will improve your virtual classroom.

8. The Rule of Global Positioning – Know the barriers to reaching a global audience.

9. The Rule of Sustained Orbit – Once your virtual classroom is launched, you need to keep the momentum following to keep it running successfully.

The book is a must read if you are in the process of transitioning instructor-led classroom training to virtual classroom training.

Matt and Treion also have a great blog to follow.

Often, due to shortened project timelines, the Analysis phase of the ADDIE process is cut short or skipped all together. This phase might very well be the most important phase of the ADDIE process. It is during the Analysis phase that you uncover the information critical for the learner to be successful in their job.

In Ethan Edwards webinar The 5 Most Important Analysis Questions You’ll Ever Ask , he highlights these 5 questions:

1. What do you expect learners to be able to DO after completing the course that they can’t do now?
2. What are the consequences TO THE LEARNER if the learner fails to master the intended outcomes?
3. Can you show me an active demonstration, a detailed simulation, or provide an opportunity to directly observe the desired performance?
4. What specific performance mistakes do new learners regularly make?
5. What tools, resources, job aids, or help do successful performers (or even experts) use to do these tasks?

Click here to access a replay of the webinar and supporting documentation.

I recently read a great blog post by Articulates Tom Kuhlmann, titled Here’s Why Slide Count is Irrelevant to Your E-Learning Course . In the post he mentions the following key points:

- Screen count does not matter to the elearner…what matters, is the interaction built into the course.

- Do not auto-advance the slides in your course. Some people are fast readers, some are not, and some want to review the slide information before progressing through the course. Give the control to the learner!

Finally, three tips for creating productive eLearning:

1. Break the content into bite-size chunks. Smaller bits of information are easier to digest.
2. Are you viewing or doing? Determine if you are just sharing information with the learner (viewing) or if it is tied to performance goals (doing).
3. Are you pushing or pulling? Don’t just push out information to the learner. Build interactions in your eLearning where the learner has to perform a function or make a decision. If they cannot successfully do the task, then provide a way for them to “pull” the information from the course.

In summation…slide count does not matter as long as you keep your learners engaged and they can effectively pull the information out of the course that will improve their performance.

Why is it important to create a course outline or storyboard before building an eLearning course?

A course outline or storyboard will help you to organize both the course content and your thoughts on interactivity (audio, video, graphics, interactions, etc.).

Here are a few things to consider when building your storyboard:

On-Screen text

• What information is best presented as on-screen text?
• How much is too much? Remember, learners typically only scan the on-screen text.

Audio Scripting

• Will or should you use audio in your course? If you decide to use it, be consistent throughout the course.
• If using audio, will you also include written scripting for the leaner to read?
• Can the learner advance through the course even if the audio is still playing?
• Do the learners have audio capabilities? Will they use headsets/earbuds? Do they have speakers for their computers?

Interactions/Quizzes

• Will you add interactions/quizzes to your course?
• Interactions/quizzes should support the learning process and not distract from it. Use interactions to reinforce learning content.

Graphics/Images

• Do not use gratuitous images. The images in your course must support the story you are telling.
• Most learners only scan over the text so your graphics need to help tell the story.
• Can the text be combined into the image?

Video

• Is video a good delivery method for the content being presented?
• What information is best presented in video format?
• Do you have the time and budget for video?
• Can your network handle video?

Course Test

• Is a course test required? If so, plan for the test in the storyboard process. This allows you to build test questions when you build the course objectives. The course test should not be an afterthought once the course is created.

Printable Reference Materials

• Does the learner need printable reference materials to refer to while completing the training or after the training? Maybe offer a training recap.

Website Links

• Can you link the learner off to a website to learn more about the topic?

Development Notes

• Include additional development/design notes.

Who would have thought that simply writing an eLearning course would require the instructional designer to have so many different writing skills? As an instructional designer our writing has to motivate the learner, as well as, instruct them on correct processes, policies, techniques, etc.

In the eLearning Coach’s article 10 Types of Writing for eLearning Connie explores the 10 different writing types we must all remember when writing effective eLearning. Below is a summary of her key concepts…with a few of my own thoughts added in:

1. Writing On-Screen Text

Summary: Most readers only skim online text so keep it lively and relative to the learner. Don’t kill the learner with continuous bullet points.

Comment: True, learners don’t read all of the text. This is why it’s so important to add nice visual design to your course. You need to “draw” learners in and help them “want” to engage with your course. You should also think about chunking content.

2. Writing Audio Scripts

Summary: Find that “hook” that sparks the learner’s imagination. The sounds of words and cadence of phrases in the script is important. Be sure to choose your voice talent carefully.

Comment: You also need to find a balance between what content should be narrated and what content you should let the learner read. Also, there are many times when the learner can read faster than the audio narration. How will you handle this? Can a learner turn off the audio? Can they advance to the next section when the audio narration is still playing?

3. Writing Video Scripts

Summary: Remember that video is for showing, not telling.

Comment: Video should be used to demonstrate key concepts in the learning. Here is a sample video tutorial we have built to demonstrate how to add a Glossary to an Articulate Skin.

4. Technical Writing

Summary: Technical writing can be dull and dry…so find a way to inject creativity into your course.

Comment: Scenarios can be a great way to spice this up. Start off with a problem and then show the steps to fix it.

5. Writing Stories

Summary: Storytelling incorporates facts and concepts learned, and should contain characters that the learners can identify with.

Comment: When building a course with various stories to tie them all together. Always focus on the same characters throughout the entire course…this allows the learners to keep building on concepts already learned.

6. Writing Test Questions

Summary: All test questions must correspond to the learning objectives in the course. Give yourself enough time to write effective test questions.

Comment: Many instructional design models have you write the test question very early in your design process. The problem is that many of us build the entire course and then say “oops, I forgot to create the test.” Then we hurry and create some questions and throw them out there.

7. Writing Glossary Definitions

Summary: The 4 tips for writing glossary definitions are: 1) every word counts, 2) remove extraneous words, 3) use a consistent style for every definition, and 4) let someone else edit them.

8. Writing Interactions

Summary: Interactions can be a powerful learning tool…but they must be well written with good instructions.

9. Writing Microcopy

Summary: Microcopy is the little instructions and phrases used in eLearning and should not be an afterthought.

Comment: I like to add text to my image treatments as well. Any image can be combined with text.

10. Copywriting

Summary: Copywriting is the use of persuasive language to entice someone to take your training. Most copywriters follow the AIDA formula when writing copywrite.

Looking for a great way to create scenarios and conversations in your course? Check out our latest product…Thought and Speech Bubbles!

You get 300 different images in 6 different styles. The images all have transparent backgrounds and are ready to drop right into your course.

(By the way, you also get the Illustrator files so that you can tweak them if you’d like.)