[INFOGRAPHIC] How to Use the PAF Model to Improve Training and e-Learning

Posted: 01.20.2013 | Author: | Filed under: eLearning, Graphic Design, Infographics, Instructional Design | Tags: , , , , | 13 Comments »

Last weekend I posted a new infographic (Gagne’s 9 Events of Instruction) and I got some really good feedback about it.  One piece of feedback that I received from several people was to incorporate more graphics/icons into my infographic designs. Of course I think we can all agree that using visuals is only a good thing if it adds value by providing an instructional purpose. This weekend when I decided to make another graphic, I was careful to choose a few icons that I thought were really representative of the elements of PAF. I  created this infographic in Adobe Photoshop.

I’d also like to add a disclaimer that the PAF Methods listed in the infographic for presentation and application are only three examples, but there are a lot more methods available to you. Those are just a few examples!

Instructional Design Infographic

[INFOGRAPHIC] Instructional Design Model: Gagné’s 9 Events of Instruction

Posted: 01.13.2013 | Author: | Filed under: Graphic Design, Infographics, Instructional Design | Tags: , , , , | 19 Comments »

This weekend I decided it was about time I created a new instructional design themed infographic. I’ve created a few in the past, which I’ve shared on my blog (here, here and here), and they’ve proven to be some of my most popular postings.

How did I go about creating this infographic? For starters, I browsed online through some instructional design sites to get ideas for what I wanted my subject to be. In the past I’ve designed an infographic illustrating the ADDIE model and Kirkpatrick’s Levels of Evaluations so when I stumbled across an article mentioning Gagne’s 9 Events of Instruction I was intrigued. Of course I had heard about Gagne and his nine events, but I wasn’t too familiar with them. In fact, I couldn’t even name one event! Since I like to use my infographic development process to learn something new about instructional design, I thought this would be a good topic. The next step in my process was to do a Google Images search for some infographic design ideas, to help me get inspired. Then I created the infographic in Adobe Photoshop, starting with the design of the heading/title of the infographic. Once I had the title narrowed down, I used those same fonts and colours throughout the rest of the graphic. I’d say it took about an hour, maybe an hour and a half, to complete. I got to be creative and learn something new about instructional design, so I think it’s a success!

Gagne Nine Events of Instruction

Got any suggestions for an e-learning, instructional design or training themed infographic you’d like to see? If you have any ideas for me please leave  a comment.

Audio and Narration in e-Learning: Pros and Cons

Posted: 12.03.2012 | Author: | Filed under: eLearning, Instructional Design | Tags: , , , , , , | 12 Comments »

First things first, I’m really glad to finally be writing a new blog post because I realize it’s been over a month since I’ve posted and I feel very guilty about it! October was pretty hectic due to the fact that I was attending DevLearn 2012 in Las Vegas. I am actually planning on writing a post about my experience at DevLearn in the near future since it was both my first time attending a conference and my first time public speaking/presenting. It was a great experience and a lot of new lessons learned for me.

That being said, I was recently inspired to write this latest blog post from something that occurred at work! I’m working on an e-learning project now and I was recently looking into the pros and cons of adding audio to the e-learning course I’ve developed. I decided to compile a bit of my research and write about it!

I’ve come to find out that adding audio to an e-learning project is not a decision that should be taken lightly. There is a lot involved in the process, there is lot to know before you get started and finally there is a lot of room for error! So how do you decide if you need narration/audio in your project? As with all media in your e-learning projects, you should only use narration IF there is a clear instructional purpose behind it (and not “just because”). From what I can gather, there are three types of audio used in e-learning:

  • Narration (which has four “subtypes”)
    • Elaborative  (on-screen text summarizes the audio)
    • Paraphrasing (audio summarizes the on-screen text)
    • Verbatim (reading exact words on-screen)
    • Descriptive (audio describes image on-screen)
  • Music
  • Sound effects

After doing a bit of research on the topic I’ve discovered that there is much debate surrounding which “type” of narration is best for learning. The kind of narration you should use in your projects seems to depend greatly on the specifics of the project (time, talent, budget) as well as what the subject matter is. So which content should you narrate? There are a couple of scenarios where it might be more worthwhile to use narration. For example, when you need to explain a complex definition or process, or when demonstrating situations such as interview skills or emotional interactions between individuals.

The pros and cons of using audio:

PROS CONS
  • Good quality audio might appeal to auditory learners (although there is much debate as to whether learning styles even exist…)
  • Audio might help reinforce certain points and may help some learners retain more information
  • Audio can add some personality and a more personal touch to the e-learning
  • Reduces the reading load, less on screen text when there is audio/narration
  • Might add “authenticity” to on-screen characters
  • Adding audio files (which even when compressed can be quite large) will add to the bandwidth, loading time, etc.
  • Bad quality audio will be more distracting and detrimental than useful
  • Writing and practicing a script and recording the audio are time intensive tasks
  • Synching audio with on-screen text and images can also be labor intensive – and if the audio/on-screen are not harmonious it will be distracting to learners
  • If your course needs to be updated often (once a year, maybe more) then it can be difficult and time-consuming to record and add updated audio.
  • If your course will be localized (translated) it can be challenging to write scripts and narrate your course in multiple languages
  • If your course is available in different countries, unfamiliar accents and cultural references can lead to confusion
  • Having exact same audio and text on-screen can be redundant and boring
  • Some research suggests that learners dislike word-for-word narration, because quick readers can often read the whole text before the narrator is done talking

Let’s say you have decided there is indeed an instructional purpose for audio or narration, and you’ve narrowed down which type of narration you will use. The next question you might ask yourself is, who will narrate this course? Three ways to narrate your course include:

  • A professional narrator
  • An employee narrator
  • Text-to-voice software

In addition to “the voice” you will likely need a couple of additional people to be involved in the audio recording process, likely:

  • A scriptwriter
  • A producer (this depends on the technical skill your narrator possesses, and if he/she can do the actual sound recording themselves)

Of course there are both pros and cons to using any type of narration in your project.

PROS CONS
Professional Narration
  • High quality sound recordings done in a professional, sound proof studio
  • Has knowledge about compression rates, “clean audio”
  • Has a variety of consistent voicing styles, pitch, intonation
  • More expensive (they typically use a pay-per-minute model)
Amateur Narration
  • Less expensive than going to a professional
  • Adds realism and a personal-touch (especially if the narrator is an employee the learners know)
  • Lower quality (there may be breathing, lip smacking, background noises, etc.)
  • Inconsistent voice styles
  • Can be very difficult to match audio quality and have the same voice talent if updates are required in the future
Text-to-voice
  • Likely the least expensive route
  • Consistent quality
  • Consistent voicing style/intonation
  • Over the last few years quality has improved and it is now more common alternative
  • May sound robotic, unemotional and fake
  • Less personal
Here are some additional general audio and narration tips and best practices:
  • Narration rule of thumb: 1 minute of talk time = 100 words
  • Try to keep audio clips to 20-30 seconds (to retain learner attention)
  • Find a balance between what learners should read vs. what they should listen to
  • Allow users to have control over volume settings
  • Have an instructional reason for using the narration or audio (not just because)
  • Include a list of hardware and software requirements for learners to know ahead of time if they need speakers or a headset for audio
  • Keep in mind that if your e-learning course requires audio, people who do not have audio capabilities will not be able to take the course
  • Audio might slow down some learners since they have to go at the pace of narration
  • Adding narration will impact on the amount of time it takes to complete your e-learning course

Finally, here are a few links to good articles about narration in e-learning that helped me write this post:

Another Sample Storyboard for eLearning

Posted: 07.23.2012 | Author: | Filed under: eLearning, Instructional Design | Tags: , , , , | 5 Comments »

I’ve noticed that the e-learning storyboard samples I posted a few weeks back were very popular. Since it’s a resource that a lot of instructional designers and e-learning developers are looking for online (or so my stats would indicate, in any case) I’ve decided to add another template/sample.

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, what you include in your storyboard will depend on the specifics of your project. If you’re going to develop the course yourself, you may not need to include notes for the developer. If your project doesn’t use audio, you won’t need a box for narration text or the space to list audio files. It all depends on the project and what your client wants to see in the storyboard. As you can see, in my sample I’ve included a detailed preview of the completed slide. When someone else will be developing the content, I like to show a detailed preview of exactly what I’d like the slide to look like in it’s completed state, so there’s less room for confusion or misunderstandings. I hope these examples serve as inspiration for someone out there who needs to start storyboarding!

eLearning Design: Feedback Windows

Posted: 07.18.2012 | Author: | Filed under: eLearning, Graphic Design, Instructional Design | Tags: , , , , | 7 Comments »

When you design e-learning courses you often have to incorporate pop-up style feedback windows into your layouts. Feedback windows are used in e-learning for a few reasons, the main ones being: 1) To provide correct and incorrect feedback information, and 2) to provide tips, hints or additional  information for the learners.

I am sharing a few examples of feedback “designs” that I developed in Adobe Captivate 5.5. I started out with a basic slide with some information, and then I overlayed a rectangle shape with a 75% opacity over top of the entire slide to add that faded background effect.  I really like using this “faded background” effect for feedback pop-up windows; it’s a simple way to keep a strong visual connection between the feedback and the content you are providing the feedback for. I also like using rounded rectangles instead of hard corners because I think it softens the overall look. One more thing: I like using “fun” fonts for headings, and simpler, sans-serif fonts for body text.

sgg

15+ eLearning Storyboard Templates

Posted: 05.09.2012 | Author: | Filed under: eLearning, Instructional Design | Tags: , , , | 21 Comments »

If you have to create a storyboard for an e-learning course you’re working on, odds are you’ve come to the web to browse around and get ideas on what you want to include in it. To make that easier for you I’ve compiled a gallery of 15+ e-learning storyboard templates and samples available on the web. Hopefully going over these examples will help you narrow down what you should include in your own storyboard document.

http://http://www.agileid.com/sites/agileid.drupalgardens.com/files/styles/media_gallery_large/public/STORYBOARD-Client-HAC-sample-page11.png

http://minutebio.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/storyboard.gif

http://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/assets/images/learningsolutions/061305/061305mgt-h_1.jpg

http://articulate-downloads.s3.amazonaws.com/storyboards/SimpleStoryboard-590.png

http://writersgateway.files.wordpress.com/2007/03/windowslivewriterstoryboardtemplatesininstructionaldesign-dd7ctemplate10.gif

http://blog.commlabindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/storyboards1.jpg

http://articulate-downloads.s3.amazonaws.com/storyboards/TemplatedStoryboard-590.png

 http://scottandbecky.net/blog/uploaded_images/Rapid-E-learning-715224.gifhttp://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/assets/images/learningsolutions/2012/120315/sme_storyboard_example_600.jpg

http://intercom.stc.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/story_fig1-600×480.jpg


http://blogs.adobe.com/captivate/files/2012/03/Introduction.png

Got any tips of your own about storyboarding for e-learning? Please feel free to leave a comment!

[INFOGRAPHIC] The Value of a Masters in Instructional Design

Posted: 04.02.2012 | Author: | Filed under: Graphic Design, Infographics, Instructional Design | Tags: , , , , | 14 Comments »

A few months ago I created an online poll called “What is the Value of a Masters in Instructional Design?” and I posted it to my blog. My goal was to gather at least 100 votes, and I was really glad that I accomplished that target pretty easily. I got a few interesting comments along the way.  I have compiled the results of the poll into the following simple infographic, which I created in Adobe Illustrator CS5. Enjoy!

Please feel free to leave comments and share your feedback!

The Ultimate eLearning Design and Development Checklist

Posted: 03.18.2012 | Author: | Filed under: eLearning, Instructional Design | Tags: , , , , , | 15 Comments »

I have combed the web and compiled several e-learning, instructional design and web design checklists to create this ultimate e-learning checklist. Not every item on the entire list will apply to every project, however I think that altogether it covers a broad range of items. If you think there’s something important that I have missed, please let me know and I will include it in the list; ideally, I’d like this checklist to cover as much ground as possible.

View The Ultimate eLearning Design and Development Checklist in .PDF format.

INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN

  • Training needs analysis is complete
  • Time and budget restraints have been identified
  • Primary and secondary audience have been analyzed
  • Task analysis and task listing are complete
  • Various instructional methods are used
  • Objectives are clearly stated
  • Objectives include measurable criteria
  • Instructional content relates directly to   objectives
  • Course objectives are met
  • Content is segmented into small chunks
  • Information is logically grouped
  • Major headings are clear and descriptive
  • One-third of the content is presentation
  • Two-thirds of the content is application   & feedback
  • Feedback is provided for questions   answered
  • A maximum of 5-7 bullet items per slide
  • There is a summary for every piece of   content
  • Glossary is used to define key concepts   and terms
  • Humor is used with care

ASSESSMENTS & TESTS

  • All assessments are relevant and complete
  • Assessments are challenging and realistic
  • Various quiz methods and types are used
  • Assessments are used throughout
  • Final assessment at the end
  • Pass/fail marks are appropriate
  • Feedback is adequate
  • Feedback presented within reasonable time
  • Post course assessment/evaluation is included
  • New content is not presented in assessments or in assessment feedback

GENERAL DESIGN

  • Total design is uniform in appearance
  • Branding/identity guidelines have been   followed
  • Use of logos is appropriate
  • Colors used are consistent and suitable
  • Color schemes chosen for visibility & contrast
  • Navigation is consistent throughout
  • Horizontal and vertical scrolling is   avoided
  • At least 50% of the screen is white space
  • Graphics/icons used to signify important concepts
  • Patterns and textured backgrounds do not interfere with legibility

FONTS

  • Maximum of  or three fonts used throughout
  • Decorative fonts are only used for headings
  • Body text uses sans serif fonts
  • Appropriate line spacing is used
  • Paragraph length is appropriate
  • Font sizes are appropriate and easily readable
  • Font colors visible against background color
  • Styles and colors are consistent throughout
  • Emphasis (bold, italics) is used sparingly
  • Body text is left justified

TESTING

  • E-learning has been tested in multiple browsers
  • E-learning has been tested in various resolutions
  • All links and buttons have been tested
  • Accessibility features have been tested
  • All audio has been tested
  • All videos have been viewed in entirety
 TECHNICAL

  • Project load time is reasonable
  • Shortcut keys have been defined
  • FAQ document has been created
  • Hardware requirements have been   identified
  • Software requirements have been   identified
  • Dimensions are optimized for target audience
  • The course is viewable in all web   browsers
  • Pages are easily printed
  • Total time to complete has been timed
  • Contact information available for   questions

ACCESSIBILITY

  • Entire course can be navigated with keyboard
  • All ALT tags are used
  • Text is provided for all non-text   elements
  • Video files have associated script or   dialogue
  • Captions are provided for audio conveying   content
  • No flashes faster than 3 times per second
  • No colors used to convey information
  • No fine motor skills required (large   clickable areas, large field labels)

NAVIGATION

  • Main navigation is easily identifiable
  • All navigation is correct sequence
  • Hyperlinks are clearly identified
  • All hyperlinks work
  • Minimum use of external links
  • Backward links to navigate to previous   screens
  • Number of navigation icons is reasonable
  • Table of contents used to lay out the   content
  • E-learning has guided tour and/or map for   further explanations

VIDEOS & ANIMATION

  • Use of animation and videos is appropriate
  • Files are compressed/optimized
  • Videos and animations are consistent in quality, size and type
  • Videos are legally   owned

AUDIO & NARRATION

  • Narration is not exact text on the screen
  • Narration is clear and concise
  • Audio quality is high (not fuzzy or   scrambled)
  • Narrator sounds confident and knowledgeable
  • Audio synced to the content
  • Audio can be paused
  • Volume can be muted
  • Volume can be controlled by user

TEXT CONTENT

  • Language is clear and concise
  • Spelling has been checked
  • Grammar has been checked
  • Language is culturally appropriate
  • Tone is consistent throughout
  • Tone is appropriate for the audience
  • Text is gender neutral
  • Content is not plagiarized
  • Date formats, measurements, are consistent
  • SME has verified text content
  • Facts, statistics, data are accurate
  • Facts, statistics, data sources are   identified
  • Correct capitalization applies to units/acronyms
  • Correct capitalization is used
  • Punctuation is appropriate
  • Complex sentences are avoided
  • Content has been localized for all required languages

GRAPHICS

  • Images are meaningful,   have a purpose
  • Images/graphics are resized and compressed
  • Images use appropriate file type
  • Photos are consistent in quality, size,   type
  • Images are all legally owned
  • System screen captures are   up-to-date
  • Screen captures do not contain any personal information

Since you’ve made it all the way to the end of the checklist, maybe you should subscribe to my blog!

How to Optimize Your Graphics for eLearning

Posted: 03.08.2012 | Author: | Filed under: eLearning, Graphic Design, Instructional Design | Tags: , , , , , | 6 Comments »

What does it mean to “optimize” graphics?  It means to change the size of a graphic, to reduce it in visual and/or file size. You can do this by changing the resolution (the amount of pixels in an image), by changing the actual size of the image, or by changing the file type. It is a common practice in the web industry to optimize all photos and graphics for websites. The same principles apply to eLearning.

A stock photograph downloaded from the web can be up to 2500px wide by 1875px high. An image this size can have a file size of 8MB or higher. Simply by re-sizing the image to 500x375px you can reduce your  file size to less than 400Kb. Multiply this by several images and this makes a huge difference in the size of your project .

Why should you optimize your graphics for eLearning projects?

  • Quicker publishing and previewing during development
  • Files load more quickly for the end-user
  • Saves disk space
  • Reduces bandwidth consumption (which means lower bandwidth cost)
  • Good business practice
  • Positive user experience

 What can you do to optimize your graphics for eLearning?

  • Crop them to remove unnecessary excess
  • Strip/remove the meta data (information like date, time, GPS coordinates, etc.)
  • Use proper image formats (see table below)
  • Do not use graphic text (photos of text)

Note: Resizing an image once it’s imported into PowerPoint, Articulate or Captivate does not change the actual file size.

Which image formats should you use in eLearning?

File Type Description eLearning Use
.JPEG
  • Supports RGB colors
  • Typically used for photography
  •  Photos
.GIF
  • Supports up to 256 colors (index color)
  • Supports transparency (1 color in the image can be fully transparent)
  • Does not support semi-transparency.
  • Supports simple animation
  • Simple animation
  • Graphs, charts, diagrams
  • Small images with text
  • Buttons and icons
  • Logos
.PNG
  • Supports multi-transparency
  • Supports both RGB and index colors
  • Does not support simple animation
  • A .PNG image can be compressed to a smaller file size than the same image as a .GIF can.
  • Graphs, charts, diagrams
  • Small images with text
  • Buttons and icons
  • Logos

 

What software can you use to optimize images for eLearning?

If you have any other tips or suggestions about optimizing graphics for eLearning, please leave a comment. And since you’ve made it all the way to the end of this article, perhaps you should subscribe to my blog!

Evolution of an eLearning Designer: How Social Media Advanced My Career

Posted: 02.26.2012 | Author: | Filed under: eLearning, Instructional Design, Professional Development, Social Media | 4 Comments »

I’ve started off 2012 on a great foot: at a new job at Langevin Learning Services. I can’t believe how much my career has evolved over the last few years, and how much I’m learning every day. The more I’ve thought about how it came to be that I landed my current gig at Langevin, the more I realize how much social media has played a key role in making it happen. In all probability, it never would have happened without social media.

We’ve all read the news articles about how social media is being used for recruitment, and about how employers are moving away from traditional resumes and focusing on a candidates’ online personality and contributions. My story is a perfect illustration of how developing an online identity can really get your name out there, help you gain great exposure and maybe even land you a job! I’ve decided to write a blog post about how I developed my personal social media identity, and how that helped me land my current gig. Here are the top three factors:

Growing my LinkedIn network

One of the earliest and most important aspects of my “social media identity” is my LinkedIn profile. Several years ago, on the direction of a former boss, I signed up for a LinkedIn account and took the time to completely fill it out. This was when I was at my first job, fresh out of university. I remember thinking how bare my job experience looked and what few connections I had.

Over the years, this has definitely changed. I think that’s because I’ve taken the time to craft (what I hope is) a thorough resume that has a personal touch, but still represents all my relevant work experiences and skills. I keep it as current as possible. I post original, business related status updates from time to time. I really make an effort to have a LinkedIn profile that looks “neat” and visually attractive. I’ve expanded my LinkedIn network over the years through meeting new people as well as by connecting with other instructional design and eLearning professionals through LinkedIn groups and through my Twitter account.

Speaking of Twitter…

Getting on Twitter and expanding my  following 

The reason I ended up on Twitter is kind of a fluke; I was working at my second job, a small high-tech company, and we were at a round-table meeting discussing social media. One of the project managers mentioned she needed someone to start Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts for the company. She looked around the table for volunteers. I was the only one who knew what Twitter was. Kidding, but really I was the only one at the table with an actual Twitter account (although at this point I wasn’t really using my Twitter account; I had mostly just signed up out of curiosity to check it out and I didn’t “get it” right away). Anyhow, I jumped all over the chance to be “social media coordinator”. Luckily for me, everyone else was really busy with their projects and/or not that interested in social media, so I didn’t have any competition for this awesome role! I was thinking “I can actually be paid to be on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn at work? SWEET!” (or something along those lines). 

All joking aside, I took on my new social media role pretty seriously and learned many tricks of the trade (it sounds  so cliché, but it’s true!). Eventually, with a lot of new knowledge about social media under my belt, I really expanded my own personal/professional Twitter profile and network. I broke through the 1000 follower barrier recently, which was a great milestone for me.

Finally, one of the most important things I have done with regards to my social media identity has been…

Starting my blog

Writing this blog has been really fun for me, but more importantly, a great learning experience. When I first thought of starting an eLearning or instructional design-related blog, I wasn’t sure if I should. ”Do I really know enough to write about this stuff?” is what I originally thought. I’ve always really enjoyed reading and writing, but there are so many well-written and informative blogs out there. I wasn’t sure I’d have the pizzazz required to make a blog stand out amongst thousands. Also, I had heard of WordPress but for some reason it sounded like some intense, difficult to learn application. (Haha! Crazy, I know. I figured out the interface in about an hour, maybe less!)

Eventually I decided I was just going to do it! I needed an outlet for my writing and to share my graphics and artwork. I decided that I don’t have to write authoritative white papers on eLearning and instructional design, or anything like that. Instead, my blog has a casual tone to it and I write about my own personal learning experiences relating to eLearning, social media, graphic design and more. I write about discoveries I’ve made and new things I’ve learned as I follow this intriguing career path. I’m usually inspired to write blog posts after I encounter a problem or a question while I’m working.

How did all of these things help me land my job at Langevin?

Last fall I started following an instructional designer at Langevin Learning Services, Karen, on Twitter and LinkedIn, and she followed me back. Eventually, she subscribed to my blog, which I was pretty stoked about. She had been following my blog for a month or two when I wrote a review of a Langevin Learning Services workshop I took a few years ago. (Instructional Design for New Designers is the workshop, and you can read the review here). The reason I wrote the review was that I actually thought the workshop was terrific.  Ever since I took it I’ve been raving to my instructional designer friends how good the workshop was, how much I learned, etc. One night, I needed a topic for my blog and I realized that I should write a review of the workshop I had attended. So I wrote the review and hit publish! I made sure to send the link to Karen on Twitter, since it was good PR for them! I wasn’t expecting anything more to come from it.

A few weeks later, I got a direct message from Karen asking me if I would be interested in doing the pre-screening/interviewing for an Instructional Design position at the company. She had scoped me out on Twitter and LinkedIn, and she knew I had some writing skills and interest in learning new things, thanks to my blog. Of course, the review I had written and the fact I had taken one of their workshops played well in my favour.  I jumped at the opportunity to work somewhere that I knew would challenge me and stretch me to my full potential. Fast forward a few months, I got the job! Now I’ve been settled in for a few months and I couldn’t be happier.

That is my tale of how social media helped me land my current job. My story goes to show how important a personal social media identity or “brand” is in 2012. Personally, I enjoy Twitter, LinkedIn and writing my blog so much that it doesn’t ever feel like a drag, or like extra work. This is how I know that I’m in the right field!

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