The Forgotten Step in eLearning Design

There is a step in the design process that seems to be rushed-over at times: Brainstorming.

Many times we are presented with information that needs to be trained. We’ve probably done a similar course in the past and/or covered a similar topic. We probably have standards, templates, colors, and other various course assets in place so that we can build content more quickly. The course also needs to be done yesterday.

It is very easy to just “start building”. We have a learning need, the base content is provided, SMEs are lined up to review it, and we have a deadline….let’s do it! However we are missing a key “brainstorming” step.

We all know that a team of individuals can usually be more creative than just one individual. As ideas start to “fly” others can build off those ideas and come up with new/better ones. Each person’s unique background and skills leads them to new ideas. However many times getting together a brainstorming team is viewed as cumbersome and time consuming.

Brainstorming can be very simple and quick. Here’s how I like to brainstorm a course:

1. Come up with a basic outline of the course content and proposed flow.
2. Gather the design team (or anyone who wants to participate).
3. Briefly mention what topics need to be covered.
4. Ask for ideas on how this information could be presented. (high-level ideas and quick)
5. Write them down. (all of them….every comment is OK at this point)
6. When everyone is done, start to combine ideas that are similar and delete those that aren’t feasible.

Through this process the best ideas rise to the top and become more refined. This process can give you great ideas for how to brand a course, make it interactive, present content, and engage the learner.

Brainstorming Rules:

• No judgements (every comment is OK at this point)
• No discussions (save the discussion for later)
• No stories
• Quick responses (only spend 5-10 mins total)
• Get a lot of ideas before stopping (may set a goal beforehand)
• Keep going even if you have a great idea early
• Save the brainstorming notes

Here’s an interesting article on Brainstorming methods (right-brain vs. left-brain).

Brainstorming isn’t new but I think that if we spent a bit more time doing it our course could be greatly improved.

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eLearning activities and interactions

Hostages in Training Prison

Awhile back I did a post on Training Prisoners and how we can help participants not feel “trapped” in class.

I’ve been reading a blog called: Better Learning Better Earning and it has some interesting articles. One in particular touches on Training by Hostage.  They discuss Learning Liberty, Learning Tyranny, and You-niversity.

We really can’t force anyone to learn. We can encourage people to pursue interests and to feed those interest.

At times employees must learn certain information whether they are interested or not. That’s where good instructional design can help. Appropriate interactions, activities, scenarios, etc. can really help create interest.

I guess the best course would be when a participant gets so enthralled in the content that it turns into self-education. Check out their post.

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eLearning activities and games

Online Learning Takes Special Skills

What skills are needed to successfully learn from online training? Are there some users that will never be successful using eLearning? Are the skills needed to learn in a classroom environment different from skills needed online?

Here are some thoughts.

Classroom-based training requires:

• Listening comprehension
• Ability to pay attention for long spans of time
• Oral expression/ Ability to put thoughts into words
• Colleague collaboration / Teamwork

Online training requires:

• Reading skills
• Independent study skills
• Self-pacing and time management
• Self motivation and discipline
• A learning space created by user

Now the argument can be made that a lot of these skills apply to both classroom and online training. However it seems that certain skills seem more important for certain delivery methods.

As more and more courses move online we need to be more thoughtful of our design. We need to realize that some users might not be great readers, have a lot of self-discipline, and/or have time management skills. So how can we improve? What can we do to help out our learners?

Ideas to help learners that struggle in these areas:

Lack of Reading Skills

• We’ve all heard that “a picture is worth a thousand words.” Images can really improve the learner’s comprehension and speed up the learning. This is true for all levels of readers.
• Be sure to “chunk” text, use bullets, and make it “scannable“.
• Use audio and instructional video.

Lack of Independent Study Skills

• Add a forum or discussion area.
• Put the learners into virtual groups and have them do some online training and then hold a team discussion over the phone/email.
• Hold live WebEx sessions to connect with others.

Lack of Self-pacing and Time Management

• Make the courses short. This helps learners be able to complete training even if they only have a few minutes to dedicate.
• Indicate how long each module/lesson will take. This will allow learners to plan.

Lack of Motivation and Discipline

• Make the course visually appealing and interactive. (scenarios, quizzes, games, etc.)
• Content should be applicable to the learner’s job and interests.
• Possibly have the learner agree to a training schedule and have “check-in” points where they must indicate their progress.

Lack of Learning Space

• Tell learners what is expected. They should know that they need to find a quite place (free of distractions) before beginning the course.
• Provide a list of tips to create a virtual learning environment. Maybe they could turn of their phone, close all other computer applications, shut the door, put a sign on the door, put earphone on instead of listening through the computer speakers, etc.

What thoughts do you have?

Highlights from E-Learning 2.0 LinkedIn Discussion:

Anne Petersen: “One skill they definitely need is the skill to read instructions – and follow them”

Marian Heddesheimer: (for virtual classrooms) “Technical skills, like setting up audio and camera properly.
Moderating skills like allowing students to use their mike or camera.”

Ian Simpson: “My experience is that somehow e-Learning sharpened or at least underlined the distinction between good and not so good student performance.”

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eLearning games and interactive flash templates that you can insert into your favorite rapid eLearning tool.

eLearner’s Bill of Rights

A recent article on eLearn Magazine talked about how to make eLearning stick. At the end of the article Susan Doctoroff Landay posts her “eLearner’s Bill of Rights“. Her point is that we need to remember our eLearner’s expectations when creating courses. Every learner has expectations but the challenge with eLearning is that we can’t see the participants and they have many different tools/ways to access our content.

Here is Susan’s eLearner’s Bill of Rights:

I. Freedom of speech. E-learners have the right to be heard. Learning is a two-way street.

II. The right to bare arms. There is no stated dress code for online learning.

III. No imposition of unreasonable quarters. Online learners shall not be forced to remain seated in front of their computer for the duration of a learning experience. They should be invited to stand and stretch to keep the blood flowing and their attention focused.

IV. No unreasonable searches and seizures. While facilitators may search for a right answer on online survey questions, learners have the right to make mistakes. If one is unable to answer a question correctly, the instructor will not cause embarrassment.

V. Exemption from self-incrimination. If you didn’t do a pre-session assignment and can get away with it, good for you. But you may pay the price later!

VI. The right to a speedy trial. You have the right to try new things and put learning to use as quickly as possible either in online simulations or real-life situations.

VII. The right to a jury of peers. You are entitled access to a group of peers who have experienced the same online learning module. Among this group, you will not be judged, but will be supported when faced with new challenges that require input or discussion.

VIII. No cruel and unusual punishment. E-learners shall not be subjected to interminable lectures, excessive homework nor scorn by the instructor or fellow students. Poor attempts at humor, deemed painful to some, shall be exempt.

IX. Equal treatment of all. All should be treated respectfully regardless of computer speed or size of monitor.

X. The right to have fun. E-learners have the right to laugh, play, and enjoy the learning experience in an interesting, stress-free environment.

My thoughts:

I – Even though many of our courses are self-paced, it sure would be great to tie in ways for the learners to send feedback. This could be feedback directly to the course SME/author or it could be some type of discussion board/forum where everyone could post thoughts.

III – TRUE!  Let’s keep courses short and offer easy ways to jump directly to the topics that we need.

VI – This is one of the greatest beauties of online training … we can try out systems that are fake. Think of ways to build in simulations and give everyone hands-on practice.

IX – This is a hard one. Sometimes is hard to accomadate the person that is still using IE version 1 and a 640 x 480 monitor. By the time you show the navigation buttons and course outline their isn’t much room for content.

X – eLearning is a safe place for people to learn. Nobody is watching and you don’t have to worry about the teacher calling on you.

Susan … Thanks for your Bill of Rights!

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eLearning games and interactive flash templates

Picking the Right LMS Logo and Design

We all know that branding is important. I’ve discussed the importance of branding our online courses before however I didn’t mentioned tying that into the branding/logo of the LMS. A good LMS name/logo can really help learners and the company culture adopt online learning. I’ve seen things from plays on university/college terms to words that describe action/learning/performance. Here is an article that I found interesting:

Design a Successful and Memorable Logo For Your LMS E-Learning Courseware

By Robin L. Green

If you’re preparing e-learning content for a learning management system course or online training program, you’re making many decisions. Besides choices about navigation, format, and the information itself, you’ll be making decisions about aesthetics; the style and design of your e-learning product. You may decide to design a logo for your online course.

Of course, a logo is a bit like a book cover; when all is said and done, it doesn’t mean an awful lot. Your course itself must be robust and effective in order to succeed in a competitive e-learning marketplace. On the other hand, we all know the saying “don’t judge a book by its cover” doesn’t exist for nothing. The reality is, we do make quick, visual judgments constantly, when selecting everything from romantic partners to shampoo to restaurants. And just like a really eye-catching or interesting book cover, a logo piques viewer interest and appeals to some aesthetic sensibility. A logo quickly sets apart your e-learning courseware from the rest. It will also facilitate in viewer recognition as your courseware increases in popularity.

Remember: your logo is a small but potent image embodying your courseware system, representing you and your content.

Logos might be a name (logotype), or simply an image, in the form of an icon, sign, or emblem (ideograms). Most logos are a mix of both. In combinations of both, ideograms are often recognizable even without the logotype, such as the McDonald’s arc, or the Red Cross.

Even though some e-learning content developers and organizations use outside help in designing their logo, such as software or a graphic designer, doing so is not necessary. You’ve already taken the (significant) time necessary to develop and design an entire courseware system. So why not add your last personal touch by designing your own logo?

Branding your courseware system with a logo will give your course its own flare and personality. But how do you go about designing a logo that is as unique as your courseware system?

The first start is to simply start brainstorming. But don’t imagine that the logo will come to you in a vision or a dream. Use your hands, and lots of paper. It’s very important to write and sketch everything out by hand. Large design companies use this method, in which designers sketch pages and pages of ideas before putting anything on the computer. Sketching is the most effective way to create your courseware logo.

Brainstorm with all available resources at hand, using all possible means. Do some Googling of images, jot down keywords and ideas, use mind mapping, and check out competitors’ logos. Don’t rule out any idea before at least the next day, and run your ideas by people whose perspectives you respect.

Now that you have a simple but potent logo design, the key is simply try different things with it. Try different colors and shades and combinations, and add and subtract images. The logo will most likely be surrounded by taglines and/or text. Subject your logo to many different situations, testing taglines and texts to find out where they look best–left, right, center, and so on. Also test different fonts, sizes and combinations.

Keep your courseware system logo simple but visually appealing. You’ll want something that’s bold, describable, memorable and easy on the eye. Also, if scalability is an issue, making a simple logo will also make scaling it up or down easier.

Respect the integrity and uniqueness of your course content, as well as your target audience. It might be educational content for schools or a training course for organizations. Who’s going to be using your courseware? If the answer to this question is kids, you might design your logo in a more colorful and playful way. And if the course is intended for medical students, take that into consideration as well, and design accordingly.

Creating a great courseware logo involves balancing two unlike concepts. The logo should reflect both innovation and tradition, new/exciting and constant. It’s a fine line to walk. But when all is said and done, your logo should represent a courseware system in which potential learning management system users can place their trust and confidence.

Create e-learning courses, online lessons or training modules easily on Coggno’s LMS.

Try it risk free. Visit http://www.coggno.com/lms, send a “Contact me” request and Coggno’s representative will be in touch to set up your free account.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robin_L._Green
http://EzineArticles.com/?Design-a-Successful-and-Memorable-Logo-For-Your-LMS-E-Learning-Courseware&id=2783034

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e-LearningTemplates.com
eLearning flash interactions, games, and PowerPoint backgrounds for your online courses.

A Grammar Rule Gone Bad

Every time I try to spell a word with with the letters “ie” I say this in my head, ” I before E except after C”.

Well…that doesn’t seem to be correct. In fact maybe it’s wrong 66% of the time. This article that Dave Mozealous did is great! He gives us some real numbers around this rule.

I before E, ESPECIALLY after C

Here are some awesome e Learning templates to help you quickly build online courses. (and they will look great!)

Course Tests…Do We Even Need Them?

“We test because we have to test.” (Comment by Gary Wise on one of my LinkedIn discussions, “What Should a Passing Score Be?”.)

That got me thinking about why I’ve put tests in some of my courses and what functions they serve. Below are some questions that ran through my head. I’ve also put down my thoughts but I know that there are many other ideas out there and I look forward to hearing them.

Testing questions in my head:

1. Why do management and/or my client always want a test at the end of the course?
I don’t know about you but it seems that every time I build a course someone wants to put a test at the end. (Ok…sometimes it’s even me.) We always want to know if the learner understood and retained the information from the material. A text-based test at the end seems to be a quick and easy way to gain some level of confidence that knowledge transferred. Are there better ways to track this transfer and application back on the job? Sure, but it is more complicated than a simple end-of-course test. (But I’m sure we can all agree that the data gathered around how well learners are changing their behavior would be much more meaningful.)

2. Do we always have to test? Does every course need a test?
There are some courses that are fairly short and don’t tie to an essential part of someone’s job. Can a course like this not have a test? My thought would be yes. I guess it would boil down to why the course was created and do you need to “prove” to anyone that the time/resources were worth it. Maybe courses are joined together into Learning Paths and there is one final test for the entire path instead.

There are also times where we must meet compliance/regulatory requirements and we must be able to show test results. Paper-based test results can easily be presented in spreadsheets and charts.

Another great point that Gary mentioned was that “learners need to know they’ve passed”. Most of the time when we start a task we like to know when it’s completed. This thought could hold true with taking a course as well. We’d like some feedback/closure that we did what we needed to do. That our time was not wasted.

3. Is a simple True/False or Multiple Choice test ok?
Sure, if that’s the level of confidence you want to have that participants accomplished the course objectives.

4. Pre-test vs. Post-test…which one should I use? (maybe both?)
There are quite a few ways to create tests. Which option works best?

• Post-Test only
• Identical Pre and Post Tests
• Pre and Post Tests share the sames questions but randomized
• Different questions in both

5. Is the test score really an accurate indicator?
Some people are really good at remembering information and recalling that to find the correct test answers. Do they really change their behavior back on the job? Maybe the test score is more a reflection of how well the material was presented instead of actual learning.

6. Is there a way to test without “testing”?
If we put a bit more thought into what truly means success for our courses then we can discover other ways of measuring results than by just paper-based tests. For example, if we look at a sales course there are multiple things we could measure about each participant:

• Increase in sales 1, 3, 6 months following a course
• Surveys to the manager about sales concepts being applied
• Mystery shops / Observation of the participant in action
• Number of product referrals
• Increase in commission
• Customer satisfaction scores

Overall, I think that many times tests are thrown together quickly and don’t really gather meaningful data. Too often the success of our courses and participants is determined by test scores and often is not the best data to be using for that decision. With a bit more effort and brainstorming we should be able to move from Level 1 testing and get to 3 and 4.

I know that there are many aspects of testing that I’m missing and there is tons of information that I missed above.  What are your thoughts? What questions run through your head?

(Check out amazing eLearning Games, Flash Interactions, PowerPoint Backgrounds, and eLearning Templates)

Really…Were These the Best Images We Could Find?

JOIN THE CRUSADE…NO MORE CHEESY, ANIMATED CLIPART!

How many times have you seen images like these?

Images are an important part of online courses. The trick is that the images we use must enhance the instructional qualities of the content. The images must also look professional and give the learner confidence that the material is accurate. The images above do not look professional and certainly do not give me a feeling that I can trust the course content.

So what types of images could we use?

Photos – Photographs are great because they are real. They don’t look cheesy and they aren’t animated. If you’d like to use a guide in your course why not take pictures of a colleague or friend? You could have them do multiple poses and then cut out the background in Photoshop. Make sure that you use a high enough quality setting so that you can have full screen images that look crisp.

There are tons of stock photography sites online. iStockphoto is great and lets you just buy the images that you want. You could also purchase access to large libraries that let you use as many as you’d like. I’ve used Photos.com and liked the selection.

Graphics – There are times when you want to design your own graphic. There are several different ideas here:

Integrate part of the text into the image. Could the text be shortened and integrated into the image? Charts (pie, bar, etc) are great ways to present information Illustrate a process with graphics. A step-by-step process can be a create visual image

Icons – Every course should have a set of icons. Icons can be standardized and used in multiple courses. These icons give the user direction and add functionality to the course. Also, as the same icons are used over and over, the user begins to quickly recognize and understand them. Here are a few parts/functions of a course that could have corresponding icons:

Important/Caution Notes/Additional Information Launch Simulation Launch Site Launch Document/Job Aid Course Evaluation Test/Knowledge Check Activity Watch Video

To wrap it all up images should enhance the course content. They should not just be gratuitous graphics that mean nothing. And above all…cheesy, animated gifs have no place in a course. They scream “Novice” and there are so many better options out there.

Related Articles: Brand online training Adding Reflections to Graphics Spice up eLearning page layouts Stylize Flash Images (Check out amazing eLearning Games, Flash Interactions, PowerPoint Backgrounds, and eLearning Templates)

Free eLearning Storyboards

I ran across free storyboard templates on TheELearningCoach.com and thought that I share them with you. Connie has created a Storyboard Depot:

“These storyboard templates have been donated by the eLearning community for you to download and use for projects. There are a variety of types so you can pull features from one and add them to another, for hours of safe, unsupervised fun.”

There are PowerPoint and Word versions and they come in many different styles. Check it out!

Thanks Connie!

Here are some great eLearning games and templates.

Is Classroom Training More Credible than Online Training?

Recently at a round-table discussion about eLearning in the Commercial Lending industry an interesting point surfaced periodically: “Why is classroom training perceived as being more credible than online training?”

I think that this varies a bit by industry (and commercial banking is not known to be pioneers in the latest technology) but many people believe that classroom training is the “best way”. E-Learning is acceptable as a “second-best” option but will not work as well as a classroom session. In fact the only reason why they may “settle” for an online solution is to save time and money.

Why does this perception exist?

Here are a few perceptions of Classroom training that might lead someone to think that it’s more credible (allow they might not be correct):

• Paying for Flights and Meals: It can get expensive to bring participants into a classroom. Maybe this is seen as a vote of confidence in the classroom because a company is willing to spend money and time to bring employees in. Showing that they are willing to put out $$ may portray to employees that it’s important.
• That’s how I Learned: Classroom sessions are how most people learned when they got their university degree. Online schools and degrees have not typically the same weight/prestige as traditional universities.
• I’m Present in a Room: Participants are sitting in a room and I can see them. It must be better than them staring at a computer somewhere.
• Yes…They Were There: A trainer can certify that a person actually arrived. Yes they had buns in a seat.
• The Message Was Delivered: Management can ensure that a person stood up and told everyone what needed to be said.
• Comments and Discussions: Participants have the opportunity to personally see and discuss topics with others. They can network and connect faces and names.
• Online Training is Just Reading: Unfortunately some online courses are bad…they just put pages in an interface and let participants read. This was especially true in 5-8 years ago. Some people have never had a good learning experience with a true online course and don’t know the potential.

In the early days of eLearning it seemed that the goal was just to recreate the classroom in an electronic format. That is no longer the case. I think that the attempt now is to use the strengths of both.

Overall, my round-table discussion ended with a consensus that blended learning could really be the best of both worlds. Both online and classroom have inherent strengths and can complement each other in many ways.

What do you think?  Is classroom training perceived as more credible and superior in your organization? Why or why not?

UPDATE:

Discussion points from Training and Development LinkedIn Group:

“There could be a couple of reasons -

1. More engagement and feedback mechanismThere is more experiential learning atmosphere
2. The question asked and the answers discussed could open up a lot of perspectives
3. There is more of the human connect, considering the fact that we are after all,flesh and blood of emotions
4. Online learning is too straight jacketed” – Dewalker Basnet

Point from Learning, Eduction, and Training Professionals LinkedIn Group:

“Bad training will always lack credibility while good training will always add value.

Whether it is delivered face to face or online is irrelevant……that is only the medium. I am assuming that professional trainers will choose the appropriate method.

Too many people are getting hooked up with the approach and they lose focus on the objectives, how to measure effectiveness, keeping learning pragmatic amongst other things.” – Tony Park

Point from eLearn LinkedIn Group:

“Some of the arguments that classroom experience is far better is the ability to cross communicate in the classroom. I have found that if you present a problem or issue and engage the classroom in a groupthink experiment, you engage the students to come up with innovative and creative ideas. This in turn engages the attention span of a student in the classroom.” – Jason Miller

“Classroom learning is given more credibility than on-line/distance learning. I believe that the reason includes the greater impact information makes on the learner when more senses are involved in the learning process. In a classroom, learners have the opportunity to use tactile as well as clear visual and auditory stimulation. Discussions are more easily and naturally facilitated. Visuals and audio on line are fed through a medium which tends to “dull” them, somewhat like watching a play through a window. Tactile stimulation is not readily available.” – Caroline Silver

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(Check out amazing eLearning Games, Flash Interactions, PowerPoint Backgrounds, and eLearning Templates)

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