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Knight Lab
Knight Lab
Free tools for creating VR stories, timelines, annotated maps and charts, image comparisons, and more. These are open source tools and may be a little clunky, but potentially worth exploring for short experiences. They're design more for journalists and media companies than training, but there's overlap in explainer journalism and elearning.
Imported from Diigo#tools#free#opensource
·knightlab.northwestern.edu·
Knight Lab
Using Twine for Classroom Engagement - ACTion
Using Twine for Classroom Engagement - ACTion
This is a summary of a project at the University of Toronto using Twine to create an educational game, plus an overview of Twine.
Although Twine is a tool for creating “games”, this project goes beyond games and gamification to think creatively about how the functions of Twine can be used to create activities that allow students to more directly engage with learning content in a hands-on experiential format that may not be possible in a traditional classroom learning space.
Imported from Diigo#Twine#games#simulation#tools#free#opensource#branching#elearning
·action.act.utoronto.ca·
Using Twine for Classroom Engagement - ACTion
Lesson plans – Teaching with Twine
Lesson plans – Teaching with Twine
This post includes lesson plans for teaching students how to use Twine, either in a single 50-minute session or in two days with extra time for practicing in the tool. These plans are a few years old, so a few details have changed, but the overall structure makes sense.
Imported from Diigo#Twine#free#opensource#tools
·teachingwithtwine.wordpress.com·
Lesson plans – Teaching with Twine
What are the downsides to using stories for training and development? - Training Films You'd Watch at Home | Video Production for L&D | Sage Media
What are the downsides to using stories for training and development? - Training Films You'd Watch at Home | Video Production for L&D | Sage Media
The version of storytelling apparently assumed as the basis of this article is when a trainer shares an anecdote or story with a moral during live training. While that's not generally how I use storytelling in my own work, some of the issues here are relevant to elearning and interactive storytelling too. Stories should be relevant and connect to the goals of the course. You should revise your writing to polish it (although I think the note about revising dozens of times for a movie script isn't really relevant to training--none of us have that much time for revisions, nor do we need it to be that kind of quality).
Imported from Diigo#storytelling#training
·sage.media·
What are the downsides to using stories for training and development? - Training Films You'd Watch at Home | Video Production for L&D | Sage Media
How much does it cost to start freelancing in instructional design?
How much does it cost to start freelancing in instructional design?
Cara North breaks down the expenses to get started freelancing, using her actual costs plus a few alternatives. For setting up an LLC, website, hardware, software, and professional development, you can expect to spend a few thousand dollars in the first year.
So how much does it cost to start as a freelance instructional designer? My estimate is between $3000 and $5000.
Imported from Diigo#freelance#instructionaldesign#newid#elearning
·caranorth.net·
How much does it cost to start freelancing in instructional design?
Create a Branching Scenario in 7 Steps – jamie billingham
Create a Branching Scenario in 7 Steps – jamie billingham
Jamie Billingham explains his process for creating a branching scenario. He plans the structure in a mind mapping tool called Plectica and uses tables to organize content. The final product was built in Storyline. This process is a little different than mine, and it's interesting to see someone else walk through their steps.
Imported from Diigo#branching#Storyline#scenario
·jamiebillingham.com·
Create a Branching Scenario in 7 Steps – jamie billingham
How to Become an Instructional Designer: The Ultimate Resource List - Scissortail Creative Services, LLC
How to Become an Instructional Designer: The Ultimate Resource List - Scissortail Creative Services, LLC
An extensive list of curated resources for becoming an instructional designer, including blog posts, videos, books, and people to follow on Twitter. There's a section specifically for teachers looking to transition to an ID career too. (Yes, my ID careers posts are on the list, but there's a ton of other good stuff from other people too).
Imported from Diigo#newid#instructionaldesign#career
·scissortailcs.com·
How to Become an Instructional Designer: The Ultimate Resource List - Scissortail Creative Services, LLC
How to manage “Can I pick your brain?” requests - Ness Labs
How to manage “Can I pick your brain?” requests - Ness Labs

These suggestions on how to handle requests for free advice are the ways I handle them. I'll answer questions via email for free, and I often send links and resources. But if you want a paid 1:1 call, especially if you're vague about what you want, you're going to have to pay for my time like every other consulting client.

This article also includes ideas on how to make better requests, and that's what's probably most helpful here. i'm much more likely to respond to specific, brief requests where people know what they want and have clearly made some attempt to research on their own.

<strong>Do your research.</strong> Show that you have tried to get the information you need in other ways, and resolved to send them an email because you could not figure out an answer to your query based on what’s freely available through other means. “I have read your blog post about X and wanted to ask…” or “I see that you joined the editorial team of this magazine a year ago and I was wondering…” show that you have done your research and need further information.
Imported from Diigo#consulting
·nesslabs.com·
How to manage “Can I pick your brain?” requests - Ness Labs
6 Things Video Games Can Teach You About Writing Engaging Scenarios - E-Learning Heroes
6 Things Video Games Can Teach You About Writing Engaging Scenarios - E-Learning Heroes
Tips for writing engaging scenarios, plus examples from specific games
Now, this isn’t to say your scenario’s aesthetics are meaningless. It’s more that if you have a limited amount of time and resources, it’s best to focus on crafting the story and keep the look and feel simple.
<p>When it doesn’t take much thinking to identify the correct choice, it quickly becomes boring.</p> <p>Instead, it’s better to give your audience challenging yet realistic decisions to ponder. Things that make them think hard about what the best option could be. </p>
So what’s the best way to avoid clunky 90’s video game dialogue in your scenarios? Read your script out loud as you’re drafting it. If it sounds weird as you say it, that’s a good sign that it could use reworking.
Fun is a crucial part of what makes game-like experiences like scenarios so engaging. Just make sure that the majority of the fun serves to reinforce the project’s learning goals.
Imported from Diigo#games#elearning#scenario
·community.articulate.com·
6 Things Video Games Can Teach You About Writing Engaging Scenarios - E-Learning Heroes
Free Lottie Animation Files, Tools & Plugins - LottieFiles
Free Lottie Animation Files, Tools & Plugins - LottieFiles
Lottie animations are lightweight. This site has both free and paid animations. You can also do quick edits in their browser-based editor (like changing colors or text), as well as integrating with other tools. The animations users see after completing a Duolingo lesson are Lottie animations.
Imported from Diigo#animation
·lottiefiles.com·
Free Lottie Animation Files, Tools & Plugins - LottieFiles
Jakob’s Law | Laws of UX
Jakob’s Law | Laws of UX
This came up in a discussion on LinkedIn about whether visual appeal leads to better learning outcomes. (h/t Sarah Mercier) While this isn't about learning, it's about usability--and that is important in how people perceive and interact with elearning. It doesn't answer the question about learning outcomes, but visual design can have strong effects on perception.
Users often perceive aesthetically pleasing design as design that’s more usable.
An aesthetically pleasing design creates a positive response in people’s brains and leads them to believe the design actually works better.
People are more tolerant of minor usability issues when the design of a product or service is aesthetically pleasing.
Imported from Diigo#usability
·lawsofux.com·
Jakob’s Law | Laws of UX
User Experience Design
User Experience Design
This "User Experience Honeycomb" identifies different facets of user experience. Visual aesthetics can make a user experience "desirable," but that's not the same as it being "useful." h/t Judy Katz
Imported from Diigo#usability#design
·semanticstudios.com·
User Experience Design
Ask the Cognitive Scientist | American Federation of Teachers
Ask the Cognitive Scientist | American Federation of Teachers
Daniel Willingham summarizes some of the research on how stories can improve learning. In addition to the research examples, he explains elements of story as found in movies and explains how these can be applied in learning. While the learning examples are all focused on classroom teaching, some of this could be applied to workplace training too.
Imported from Diigo#storytelling#learning#cognition
·aft.org·
Ask the Cognitive Scientist | American Federation of Teachers
AI Voice Generator: Versatile Text to Speech Software | MURF
AI Voice Generator: Versatile Text to Speech Software | MURF
This is an AI voice service with monthly and annual plans. While I still think that real voices are going to be more effective for most of the scenario-based learning I create, I can see the value in using AI voices for straightforward narration. You can currently do either a free test of 10 minutes with no downloads or buy a single pack of 30 minutes with a reduced list of available voices for $9, plus larger plans for more time.
Imported from Diigo#audio#ai#voiceover
·murf.ai·
AI Voice Generator: Versatile Text to Speech Software | MURF
Best from the Brightest: Key Ideas and Insights for L&P Professionals - TiER1 Performance
Best from the Brightest: Key Ideas and Insights for L&P Professionals - TiER1 Performance
48 learning and performance leaders share their favorite content shared in 2021. Use this list to find both new sources to read and new people to follow. Many of the participants also shared trends to watch in 2022, other recommended content, and additional people to follow. This list is heavy on evidence-informed design.
Imported from Diigo#research#training#learning#instructionaldesign
·tier1performance.com·
Best from the Brightest: Key Ideas and Insights for L&P Professionals - TiER1 Performance
Two Questions That Should Be Influencing Every L&D Team's Strategy
Two Questions That Should Be Influencing Every L&D Team's Strategy
"Does learning science play a role in our work, and, just how much of an impact does it have on our profession?"
Does learning science play a role in our work, and, just how <em>much</em> of an impact does it have on our profession?
We must be able to see the gaps in our instructional design, which learning science helps to <a href="https://blog.learnlets.com/2020/08/the-case-for-learning-science/">support</a>. It also gives us a basis to infer how to use new technologies. If we want to avoid doing slide presentations, we have to know what cognitive (and emotional) advantages these technologies have so we can leverage them for success.
However, I’ve argued strongly that what’s most critical is the ability to make better decisions. The decisions we make determine our success. We make better decisions <em>about</em> learning when we know how learning works. It may not be all the time, but they will be the most impactful decisions when leveraging evidence-based approaches to our work. If we don’t have the foundation for learning-grounded decisions, the important ones not be made on a solid basis.
Regardless of its latest terminology, we need to be able to see past the hype and be able to evaluate the claims.
Imported from Diigo#research#instructionaldesign#learningscience
·linkedin.com·
Two Questions That Should Be Influencing Every L&D Team's Strategy
David Kelly’s Curated L&D Content for the Week of 2/28/22 – The Learning Guild’s TWIST
David Kelly’s Curated L&D Content for the Week of 2/28/22 – The Learning Guild’s TWIST
David Kelly included my post on how research informs my work as part of his list of curated content
<strong><a href="https://www.christytuckerlearning.com/how-research-informs-my-work/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">How Research Informs My Work</a><br></strong><em>Research plays an important role in the work of learning professionals. While our work often serves organizational performance goals, educational research forms the foundations upon which we can build programs that can effectively target those goals. It’s not about one being more important than the other; as Christy Tucker explains in this inciteful post, research informs the work we do in L&amp;D.</em>
Imported from Diigo#learning#research
·twist.learningguild.net·
David Kelly’s Curated L&D Content for the Week of 2/28/22 – The Learning Guild’s TWIST