Writing better e learning scripts
Presentation by Cammy Bean on writing better e-learning scripts
Storyboarding Branched Scenarios - ThinkingKap
This is something I've struggled with--a good method for storyboarding branching scenarios. I've used several different Word and PowerPoint templates in the past, none of which have quite worked the way I wanted. I can write the branching in a linear document without much trouble (I once drafted one longhand in a notebook), but it makes my SMEs brains explode to try to follow them. I've seen recommendations for Twine in the past, and this explains in more detail how it works as a storyboarding tool.
Don't fall for these adult learning myths
"How to be a learning mythbuster" from Cathy Moore. Part of this is the broader problem that most people are lousy at understanding research and verifying sources. This isn't exclusive to the learning profession. We should be better about avoiding the myths in our own field though.
We work in organizations that believe harmful myths. We’re pressured to work as if the myths are true, and we can’t or don’t take the time we need to keep our knowledge up to date and combat the myths.
Skills you need as an Instructional Designer | Origin Learning – A Learning Solutions Blog
List of skills for instructional designers. This isn't as comprehensive as the competency lists from ibstipi or ATD, but it's not a bad overview for someone new to the field.
elearn Magazine: Storytelling in eLearning: The why and how
Basics on elements of stories for those having trouble getting started
How to Chunk Training Materials
Good tips on how to chunk materials and sequence those chunks. Especially helpful for novice IDs.
10 Great Jobs Where You Can Work Completely from Home - Business Insider
Curriculum developer, online teacher, and SME are on their list. If we're designing learning that can be delivered virtually, there's no reason that we shouldn't be working virtually too. I wish more companies would see the benefit of this and allow more WFH.
This Week’s Learning Hero is Christy Tucker! | Growth Engineering
A very flattering article about me and my work
7 Questions You Need To Answer Before Becoming A Full Time eLearning Freelancer - eLearning Industry
Things to consider for those wanting to make the leap to freelance work
Why the Former Teacher May be Your Next Star Employee – Part II | James L. Simers
Comparing ATD's list of core competencies to the skills teachers already have. Teachers who want to switch careers might find this helpful for figuring out how to speak the language of business and explain how their skills transfer
OQAR :: Home
Online Quality Assurance Reviewer. Awkward name for a product, but it does similar functions to ReviewMyELearning. Reviewers can comment with each page of a course and IDs can collect feedback from everyone on the team. Unfortunately, they don't have a free trial, so there's no way to test it out and make sure it works for your courses without paying for it.
What Instructional Designers Don't Want to Hear
What do we dread hearing from clients? All of these!
The True Cost of 1 Hour of Learning
Infographic based on Chapman's research on how long it takes to create different levels of e-learning, compared to ILT
id Layouts | eLearning Templates
E-Learning templates. Each template is available for purchase individually, rather than buying a package or subscription. Storyline and Captivate templates. The site is still new, but the library of options should increase in the future.
KeelWorks - Learning to live: Living to Learn
KeelWorks is a non-profit that regularly engages ID interns. Right now it's a 12-14 week unpaid program for 5 hours a week. It's a good way for people to get some experience before their first ID job.
Free eLearning Books - The Ultimate List - eLearning Industry
50+ free e-learning ebooks. I wish these were sorted by topic or purpose rather than date, and I wish the authors or sources were consistently included in the descriptions. The descriptions are generally copied and pasted from the source, so no additional insight is added in the post. It's still a useful list though.
Articulate - Word of Mouth Blog - 5 Tips to Launch Your Career as an E-Learning Freelancer
Summary of tips from the Articulate freelancer community
1. Find your focus.
2. Save some money first.
3. Set up an online base of operations.
<strong>4. Create an online portfolio.</strong>
5. Track your time.
Will at Work Learning: Triggered Action Planning
Easy tip for improving follow up actions after training
Build a Better Online Training Team | Talance Blog
Overview of what roles need to be filled to develop e-learning. Some of these roles can overlap and be filled by the same person.
The Institute for Performance Improvement - IDBadges
Badges for instructional designers in various areas. Not sure if employers would actually care about this or recognize the organization, but it's an interesting idea for peer-reviewed credentials.
Top Tips for Producing Better eLearning Audio by Jennifer De Vries & Stephen Haskin : Learning Solutions Magazine
Tips for writing scripts and recording audio. Tip #3 on "Conditional logic" is an odd name for it, but the tip is good.
A common instance of this is that your
screen directions should be, “When you’ve completed the exercise, click the
Next button.” If you write, “Click the Next button when you’ve completed the
exercise,” at least some participants will click Next before they listen to the
rest of the sentence.
The best way to help learners see the big picture? Start small - Rapid Learning Institute
Research comparing teaching the big picture as an integrated whole versus a series of short lessons on single topics. Breaking the content into smaller chunks and focusing on each one separately worked better.
Report Card: Gamification in Learning (What Works?) by Carol Leaman : Learning Solutions Magazine
Lessons learned on what works for gamification: multiple levels, fun, variety, leaderboards, tangible rewards, virtual coaches, progress tracking, social connectivity.
8 Books To Read Before Your Next eLearning Project
A different reading list than many I've seen, with several selections outside of the main learning field. I've only read one of these eight books.
Advances in Physiology Education
Open access journal with a number of articles on active learning, blended learning, problem based learning, etc. (My sister-in-law is the copy editor.)
Lectures Aren't Just Boring, They're Ineffective, Too, Study Finds | Science/AAAS | News
Break up lectures every 10 minutes with active teaching techniques to improve student outcomes.
Flipping the conversation at ElNet Workplace Learning Congress | Explorations in learning
Tanya Lau's detailed explanation of her presentation on "Flipping the conversation" to performance and performance support rather than focusing only on formal training content. Includes notes on how she recorded and edited video on her smartphone for the presentation. She gives credit to my post on "Selling Storytelling" as part of the inspiration for her presentation because of how I scripted conversation around business objectives and measurement.
How storytelling in training changes people. 5 elements of an effective story. | Training x Design
5 elements of a story structure: a beginning, middle, and end; a main character; the main character faces a challenge, the main character struggles, and the main character changes.
13 Questions to Ask When Scoping a Learning Development Engagement
A solid list of questions for prospective clients to help develop a proposal and determine the scope.
Online Course Development: What Does It Cost? -- Campus Technology
Time and cost estimates for online higher ed. The article and research are from 2004, and I expect these ratios have gone down in the last 10 years. The estimates here say it's a 10:1 ratio for faculty time and about $25K per credit hour.
Given the current campus infrastructure, personal knowledge tools, and the availability of digital content such as course cartridges, online cyber problems, and test banks, a recommended planning number today for experienced faculty is 10 hours per hour of instruction.