Integrated Learnings: eLearning

Extending Lectora with an iFrame

2012-02-15T08:46:00.000-05:00

By Joseph Suarez

What’s an iFrame? While it may sound like the next must-have device from Apple, you won’t see a line forming around the block for it anytime soon. That’s because it’s just some useful code capable of extending the functionality of your Lectora-built eLearning course.

An iFrame is an HTML element that allows you to place a page within a page. You can even nest iFrames within iFrames to have a page within a page within a page. Fortunately, it’s not as confusing as Inception. In fact, if you’ve recently copied the code to embed a YouTube video, you’ve already used an iFrame.

And don’t worry; unlike its neglected cousin the <frame> tag, iFrames are fully supported in HTML5 and here to stay. This means anytime you need to pull content from an external source into your Lectora course, an iFrame is a simple and safe solution. Some handy uses for iFrames in Lectora pages include:

Inserting a YouTube video
Embedding a PDF
Integrating Google Docs
Enabling scrollbars on a large image.
Including a narration transcript
Pulling in a large body of text (such as a company policy).

So how do you add one yourself? Within Lectora, you’ll need to add an External HTML Object to the desired page. This will display as a weird placeholder box while you’re working in Lectora (and in Preview Mode), but will display correctly once the course is published and viewed in a web browser. In the new External HTML Object’s properties, set the Object Type to “Other” and add your code.

In the case of YouTube, Google Docs, or some other user-friendly external site, the code will be generated for you to copy and paste. Otherwise, you’ll need to do a little bit of hand coding. Start and end with the opening and closing tags (<iframe> & </iframe>). Then within the opening tag, you add the source of the external content, height, width, etc. Check out this helpful site for more detail.

Example:
<iframe src=" http://integratedlearningservices.com" width="780" height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe>

If you’ve published your course and received an error message of some kind, chances are your code has a syntax error or the URL to the external content isn’t valid. Simply tweak your code and try again. The amazing possibilities of iFrames in Lectora are too numerous to let a little code debugging stop you!

Becoming a Learning Architect

2012-02-12T15:26:00.003-05:00

By Dean Hawkinson

I recently came across a review of a book written by Clive Shepherd called The New Learning Architect. In this book, Shepherd makes the point that we, as instructional designers, need to shift our focus from simple course creation to that of an architect who designs an entire learning environment, similar to the way an architect designs environments for living and working. I began to reflect on the 11+ years that I have been an instructional designer and how the role has changed dramatically over that period of time.

A Brief History

When I first started in the role of an instructional designer, we developed courses. All of the learning took place from the CBT or in the classroom (for those of you who remember, that stands for computer-based training – preceding the WBT, or web-based training). We were really “order takers” in the sense that we received a request for a course and developed it.

Then came performance consulting, a new buzz phrase that attempted to turn instructional designers into consultants who would investigate performance issues and work towards interventions to close that gap, both instructional and non-instructional. This was a hard sell to our clients, and it took (and still takes) a lot of selling and convincing to get their buy-in to trust us as consultants.

Then came Web 2.0 and social media, which sent instructional design into another direction. The idea of collaboration and informal learning took the stage, and again our role shifted. We began to feel that we needed to take what was going on in the world of social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) and move it into learning. We also began to realize the value of informal learning, or learning that takes place outside of the formal WBT or classroom environments, and started to capitalize on how we could capture that tacit knowledge sharing for the benefit of the learners.

So…what are we doing today?

Instructional designers today have found themselves doing several things as part of their role that they would have never dreamed of doing even a few short years ago. Let’s look at some of these roles:

Online Discussion Facilitation – Social media has become a major component in learning environments today. As such, designers are finding themselves doing things such as facilitating online discussions to encourage informal learning and collaboration to enhance their courses. Designers also find themselves in the role of selling the value of social media interaction to their client organizations serving as consultants in this area.
Beyond eLearning Courses – In previous years, designers would develop an eLearning course, publish it, and their job was done. Today, we recognize that this is not enough to ensure learning takes place. Designers are utilizing collaboration tools and developing informal learning environments so that today’s learners can talk to each other about what they learned in the eLearning course and learn from each other. Designers are creating these collaborative environments both online and face-to-face. The learning is no longer taking place only from completing the course, but from the valued interaction with more experienced employees or with fellow learners.
Educating Trainers – Technology has changed over the years, and trainers who are used to one method of delivery (classroom) have had to adapt to new technologies such as delivering virtual courses via Adobe Connect, Microsoft Live Meeting or other software, and facilitating from tablets rather than books. Designers are finding themselves in the role of teaching these trainers how to use the new technologies and selling the benefits.

For anyone who has been in Instructional Design for several years like me, what are some other roles that you have taken on to become a learning architect? Feel free to share your experiences.

Do Learning Styles Matter?

2012-02-09T00:05:00.001-05:00

By Shelley A. Gable

At first, learning styles seemed to be a hot topic because theorists were interested in defining various style typologies and prescribing instructional implications. Hence, we have a lot of literature describing modalities, brain hemisphere preferences, Kolb’s styles, Gregorc’s styles, and more.

Lately, a lot of folks are writing about the fallacy of learning styles. The idea is that no one can find an empirical study that supports the need to cater to learning styles. Many of these folks also point out that we typically design workplace training for large audiences, negating the need to design for specific learning style preferences.

So, is it worth learning about learning styles?

I vote yes.

I can’t think of a situation where I would design training to cater to any single learning style, because of the fact that workplace training is typically for a large audience. However, I do believe that my awareness of the various typologies, and the preferences that exist, helps me design variety into training.

I used to diligently design for different types of learning styles, for the sake of making sure that the training would be effective for just about any type of learner. I’d try to create a balanced mix of individual and group activities, explanations that tap into both concrete and abstract thinkers, experiences that could please convergent and divergent types.

I still try to create this balance of experiences, but now it’s not so much out of a desire to reach every learner. After all, for most of us, our learning capability isn’t limited to a single quadrant on a typology grid. I may prefer to solve a problem on my own, but I am capable of attempting to do it with a group.

I still aim to create a mix of experiences simply because we know that reinforcing a concept from multiple angles is good for learning. If you think of long-term memory as a network, you can imagine how we can more effectively cement new knowledge if we connect to it from multiple directions. Doing so makes us more likely to foster improved retention and recall.

So in my mind, designing for a variety of learning styles isn’t necessarily about trying to reach a lot of different types of learners. Rather, it’s about trying to reinforce content for every individual learner in multiple ways.

Where do you stand on the learning styles debate? It’d be fun to see other perspectives!

ReviewLink: Online Review Tool for Lectora

2012-01-25T17:36:00.001-05:00

by Joseph Suarez

An important step in eLearning course development is getting feedback and approval from key stakeholders such as subject matter experts and other team members. Sometimes however, just getting a copy of a course to those stakeholders can be a challenge. Perhaps you have experienced one or more of the following:

Emailed a course that bounced back due to a file size limit
Lost a USB drive distributing courses by hand
Had to explain how to unzip a folder or find and open “index.html”
Been asked to print out of a course loaded with Flash animations and interactivity

Then there is the issue of submitting and tracking feedback and change requests. Without a central location where everyone involved can see and respond to each other’s comments, extra work will be required to filter all the incoming responses.

To address these types of problems, Trivantis has included a web-based review service with Lectora X.6 called ReviewLink. Previous versions of Lectora typically have included some handy additional features, but nothing quite as big and useful as ReviewLink. Here’s how it works:

The course developer publishes their Lectora X.6 built course to ReviewLink. This is now an option just like Publishing to HTML or SCORM.

The ReviewLink publishing options allow the developer to add the email addresses of any intended course reviewers (regardless of whether they have Lectora or not). This list can be added to or changed later as well.

Since ReviewLink is entirely web-based (in the cloud), both the developer and reviewers with an email invite log into the ReviewLink website, view the course, add comments with optional due dates, and respond to comments others have left.

The course developer can then address the comments, make any necessary changes to the course and republish to ReviewLink for as many rounds of review as needed. Comments can also be marked as “fixed” or be archived.

All comments are nicely listed in table form and can be filtered by status, content (course name), and reviewer. In addition, an email is automatically sent to invited reviewers if the course is updated.

After a couple weeks of use, both as a developer and reviewer, my personal experience with ReviewLink has been beyond satisfactory. Solving the course distribution problem alone makes it well worth the upgrade in my opinion. Plus, I hadn’t realized just how problematic organizing reviewer feedback was prior to using ReviewLink’s comment system.

Overall, ReviewLink is a great tool for Lectora published courses with one drawback; the developer currently does not receive an email when a reviewer leaves a comment. This was disappointing to experience given that all reviewers receive emails alerts if the developer updates the course.

At the time of this writing, ReviewLink is considered a beta version, so some bug fixes and improvements are likely coming down the road. And, since ReviewLink exists in the cloud, those updates won’t require downloading and installing a patch.

Writing Distractors for Multiple Choice Questions

2012-01-18T18:09:00.002-05:00

By Shelley A. Gable

Multiple choice questions – whether used throughout an eLearning lesson or in a knowledge assessment – are often frowned upon as unrealistic and limiting. But when written well, multiple choice questions can be quite robust.

It’s like eLearning. Poorly designed eLearning lessons that are text-dominated, page-turners tend to be unpopular. Highly interactive eLearning lessons that present relevant content in realistic contexts tend to be well received and effective.

Let’s briefly look at two common multiple choice offenses to avoid...

One common offense is using a multiple choice question when you really ought to use a different type of interaction. For instance, if you need learners to identify what button to click on to begin a procedure in a system, don’t write a multiple choice question where the options are names of buttons. Instead, use a hotspot question in which an image of the system screen displays and the learner must physically click the correct button in the image. Clearly, the hotspot question more closely simulates the visual recognition and physical navigation that one must perform on the job.

Another common offense is offering distracters that are obviously flawed. A good option surrounded by three really bad ones is often easily recognized, even by someone who may not understand why the correct answer is the best option. Simply writing “bad” statements as distracters misses an opportunity to show learners valid examples and non-examples of applying a skill.

So how does one write good distracters?

First of all, it’s worth pointing out that the best multiple choice questions are typically scenario-based. In other words, they present learners with a situation and ask them what they should do next. Earlier posts on this blog explain how scenarios can make quiz questions more relevant and how to write realistic scenarios.

So when it comes to writing distracters...

Ask SMEs for common mistakes. Subject matter experts (SMEs) who are close to the action and frequently work with your target audience are ideal here. Simply ask what they’ve seen newbies do in the scenario’s situation. Or how they’ve heard colleagues say something incorrectly. And probe for specific examples. If you receive a response that simply reiterates pointers to keep in mind, you’ll still end up writing the distracters yourself. So, probe for examples that are specific, detailed, and concrete enough to immediately write as a distracter.

Writing distracters with a SME is really an ideal approach, because it ensures that your distracters are options that people might actually consider. And as an added bonus, SMEs tend to recall common mistakes quickly and easily, so you don’t spend as much time trying to create fiction from scratch.

Align distracters to cautions stated during training. If the training directed learners not to do certain things, write distracters that emulate those undesired behaviors. But, don’t lay it on too thick. For example, if the training included three things not to say while discussing employee compensation, don’t write a distracter that includes all three items – chances are, most people don’t make all three mistakes at once, making the incorrect answer unrealistically obvious. Instead, write a distracter that illustrates just one.

Omit best practices without making it sound bad. Suppose the training includes three things learners should say when closing a phone call with a customer. A well-written distracter might simply miss one of those items, but still sound polite. In other words, a distracter doesn’t have to be an obviously bad choice; it can simply be a less optimal (i.e., not intentionally terrible) choice because of an important component it lacks.

What other tips can you share?

Although instructional designers with plenty of experience may feel that the suggestions above are relatively basic, the truth is that most people have to work at developing this skill. And when it comes to writing multiple choice questions, writing feasible distracters is often the most challenging part. So, what other tips do you have for doing this well?

Gaming with the Nine Events of eLearning

2012-01-11T23:10:00.002-05:00

By Shelley A. Gable

I recently joined a project that involves designing a series of eLearning games to teach sales skills. The intent is for learners to learn entirely by doing, in the context of a fun game.

At one point, the training project team discussed how to include Gagne’s nine events of instruction in each game, or whether it was even necessary to do so. For me, pondering that question reinforced the brilliance of using game for learning – games address most of the instructional events inherently.

I’ll take you through my thought process so you can see if you agree...

--1-- Gain attention.
If your game presents a compelling (and entertaining) story and challenge, you’ll easily capture learners’ attention and maintain it.

--2-- Inform learners of objectives.
Every game has an objective, regardless of whether it’s designed for learning. If learners must apply instructional objectives to succeed in the game, then this is easily cared for.

--3-- Stimulate recall.
The context of the game likely provides this intuitively. For instance, even if you’re new to selling, chances are that you’ve been a customer in a buying situation. So, building a game with relatable scenarios can tap into tacit knowledge related to how customers feel and what they may expect in a variety of situations.

--4-- Present content.
There are lots of clever ways to do this in a game, depending on the type of game you create. You might offer relevant content (e.g., sales tips) within scenarios or within the various challenges throughout the game. To encourage experimentation and discovery, prompt learners to make decisions based on their instincts, and then present all content within the game’s feedback structure.

--5-- Provide learning guidance.
This could occur by providing learners with a way to obtain hints throughout the game. If they need to reference job aids on the job, prompt them to reference those same job aids to succeed in the game. Or, you could create individual challenges within the game that illustrate examples and non-examples of a skill or concept they must learn.

--6 and 7-- Elicit performance (practice) and provide feedback.
This is what a learning game is all about! Constant performance, practice, and application. Feedback comes in the form of consequences throughout the game, such as favorable outcomes or additional points for making good decisions during gameplay.

Admittedly, the final two instructional events – assess performance and enhance transfer to the job – will likely occur in aspects of the training initiative that are separate from the game itself. Perhaps the game would be followed up by a relevant knowledge or skill assessment, along with a plan for managers to reinforce learnings on the job.

Have you done this?

At this point, I’m too early in the project to share my own concrete example of how all this plays out. But if you’ve dabbled in learning games in eLearning, please share your experience! Would you agree that the nature of a learning game’s design inherently accomplishes most of these instructional events?

Using Lectora to Sync Audio

2012-01-04T20:09:00.000-05:00

by Jonathan Shoaf

Most multimedia developers are familiar with audio timing in frame based applications like Adobe Flash and other movie editing software. They are familiar with the timeline concept and setting events within the timeline. This concept is a little different when using Lectora to sync audio. Lectora allows developers to set events that occur at flagged times within audio. For some, this may actually be a preferred way of syncing events to audio.

Audio timings are set with the Lectora audio editor. This editor is built into Lectora. Open up a new blank project and let's look at the steps involved when using Lectora to sync audio.

1. Import Audio as an FLV File

Add an audio object to your page by using the menu commands Add > Object > Audio

Click Import to add the audio file. This is where you will select the audio you created for the page. The format of the audio file is important because only Flash Video (FLV) files can be used for syncing events to audio. For example, if you created your audio as a WAV file, you will need to use a program like Adobe Media Encoder to convert it to an FLV file.

Once imported, if you want the audio to start automatically for the page, select Auto Start.

2. Flag Events using the Audio Editor

Now, click Edit to set up audio timings.

Setting events to audio is fairly simple at this point. Click the play button to start the audio. When you get to a point where you want to run an event, click the pause button. Once the audio is paused, click the button with the flag icon in the upper right hand corner.

The flag button is used to mark the time an event will launch during the audio. In the Update Event dialog, give the event a name that you will recognize from within Lectora. You can also adjust the time in which the event will occur in the audio. Once an event is added, you can go back and edit it at any time by choosing Tools > View Current Events from the audio editor.

Click Ok to close the event dialog box. Add as many events as you need. Click save and then close the audio editor.

3. Associate Actions with Events

Back in Lectora, go to the Events tab in the Audio Properties to assign actions. You will see the events you just added in the audio editor.

Choose an action for the events. For testing purposes you can use the Display Message action.

Once the events have been assigned actions, run and test the project. Notice that the Lectora actions occur where they are flagged in the audio editor.

eLearning Hot Topics from 2011

2011-12-28T17:08:00.003-05:00

I enjoy “year in review” type articles. It prompts a bit of reflection, and it highlights a publication’s best articles and posts, which helps me make sure I’ve seen the best stuff from the year. So, it seems fitting that we’d look back at our 2011 posts and create one for this blog.

Based on the number of hits the various posts on our eLearning blog received, there were three particularly hot topics for the year. How do these compare with your own eLearning hot topics from 2011?

--1-- Storyboarding.

The post with the most views in 2011 was Practical Storyboarding – Not Just for Developers. This post makes a case for storyboards as a useful tool for ensuring your eLearning design meets business and learner demands before starting development. It also suggests some additional uses and benefits of creating a storyboard prior to eLearning development.

Another practical use for storyboarding is explained in Building eLearning Scenarios in Working Sessions with SMEs. This post suggests that partnering with a subject matter expert (SME) to write dialog for training scenarios results in scenarios that are more robust and realistic than what an instructional designer is likely to create without a SME’s help. It suggests using a storyboard to set up the structure of a scenario prior to meeting with a SME, so that the time with the SME can focus on content.

--2-- eLearning Authoring Tools.

The most popular tool-specific piece this year was Snap! By Lectora Review, which posted in July. The post introduces Snap! and goes on to describe its advantages and drawbacks.

We have also featured several tool-specific, how-to posts on the blog this year. If one of your new year’s resolutions is to enhance your eLearning development skills, check out what’s relevant from the posts below.

Do you develop in PowerPoint?
- Custom Branching Navigation with PowerPoint
- Editing Images with PowerPoint
- Creating Transparent PNGs in PowerPoint

Wanna become a Lectora power user?
- Using Custom Progress Bars in Lectora
- Creating a Smart Next Button in Lectora
- Custom Lectora Video Controls
- Slide in Text with Lectora

Interested in other tools?
- Modal Windows, Overlays, & Boxes, Oh My!
- Using Captivate to Create Cool Text Animations
- Crafting Feedback in Articulate
- Recording Audio in Adobe Presenter
- An Overview of HTML5

--3-- Scenarios.

Earlier this year, we used the blog to propose a new year’s resolution: Remove the Fluff from eLearning. Turns out we focused on doing that through recommending the use of realistic and relevant scenarios and stories.

From Making Scenarios Realistic to 5 Ways to Tell Stories in eLearning, several 2011 posts talked about how to design eLearning with scenarios and stories as well as the benefits of doing so. You can also get advice from George Orwell for writing eLearning content and learn how to avoid boring eLearning.

You can use the following links to get a list of our posts about scenario-based learning and storytelling.

What are your hot topics?

What topics did you talk about most in 2011? What are you most interested in learning more about in 2012? Please share your reflections!

Interested in looking back on 2010? Check out Looking Back on 2010 with ADDIE. Happy New Year! Cheers!

Editing Images with PowerPoint

2011-12-21T10:00:00.016-05:00

By Joseph Suarez

Sometimes an eLearning course needs to be enhanced with an image, but finding the right one can be a chore in itself. It’s frustrating to locate an image only to find it just isn’t quite right. In these cases, it’s possible to tweak the image with a graphics editor.

Many people don’t consider PowerPoint as a capable graphics editor since its main function is to create presentation aids. Some also assume that in order to make basic changes to an image, they need to buy expensive software with a long learning curve such as Photoshop. Perhaps this is because older versions of PowerPoint (2003 or below) didn’t have as many graphic editing options as never versions (2007 or higher).

However, newer versions add more abilities and previously hard-to-find options are more prominent. As you can see in the image below, PowerPoint 2010 has an entire row of options just for editing images. This can be accessed any time an image is selected under the “Picture Tool Format” tab on the Ribbon.

Of course, high end graphic editing requires a high end program, but PowerPoint is certainly capable of commonly made basic edits such as:

Crop
Resize
Rotate
Recolor
Basic effects (such as drop shadow and soft edges)

As well as some surprisingly complex features:

3D rotation
Crop to shape
Background removal (2010)

Plus, when you combine all of these editing options with PowerPoint’s shape creation tool and grouping ability, you end up with a highly capable editing tool. There is even basic layer management that can be used through the “Selection Pane” that comes in handy on a busy slide.

All this editing power would be useless if you couldn’t export your changes out of PowerPoint. Fortunately, you can also save an image in several different image formats. It’s even possible to save as a PNG with a transparent background. So with just a little creativity, you can produce some great graphics for your eLearning needs.

Avoiding eLearning that Oversimplifies

2011-12-15T20:36:00.002-05:00

By Shelley A. Gable

I know several training folks who believe that eLearning is only appropriate for basic knowledge or procedural skills. They believe that more advanced skills, such as problem-solving, requires the individualized feedback and debriefing discussions that only a live facilitator can provide.

What do you think?

I disagree. I think that with a scenario-based design that immerses learners in realistic situations, you can teach skills more oriented to problem-solving such as negotiation, sales, and performing quality assurance reviews.

Many scenarios I’ve seen in eLearning lessons consist of a basic situation described on a single slide, with a question that prompts the learner to identify what to do next. The feedback provided tends to indicate whether the learner answered correctly, along with a simple explanation of the correct answer.

But we can get more immersive than this. And doing so isn’t always very complex.

Think in terms of a scenario that can branch in different directions – like those Choose Your Own Adventure books.

In a branching scenario, an eLearning slide only provides the start of a situation. Perhaps the first segment of a conversation or an initial glimpse into a problem. Learners are prompted to choose their next step from a few options provided. And instead of giving them feedback like “correct” or “incorrect,” their choice takes them to a slide that describes the next segment of the scenario...a segment that’s a direct consequence of the option they chose. And the scenario continues like this, over a series of several slides, until the learner reaches a successful, partially successful, or unsuccessful outcome.

In the most realistic scenarios, the options provided at each step aren’t necessarily 100% right or wrong. Instead, the options might represent realistic decisions people tend to make that are okay, good, better, and best. Since in life, we can make varying degrees of acceptable decisions (e.g., good, better, best), it makes sense to simulate these variations in eLearning scenarios so learners can experience and see the differences.

So how do you make this happen?

Your best bet is to partner with a subject matter expert (SME) to write the scenario. Although I’ve been guilty in the past of attempting to write scenarios myself for the sake of not taking up others’ time, I’ve recently re-learned the lesson of how valuable it is to partner with a SME. Not only can a SME provide the storyline, varying decision options, and consequences much more quickly than I can on my own, but content directly from a SME is likely to simulate actual workplace situations much more closely. Plus, the partnership help builds a sense of shared ownership for the training and its outcomes.

From a technical perspective, you don’t have to be an expert Flash developer to create branching scenarios. In fact, you can create branching scenarios right in PowerPoint.

How do you train advanced skills with eLearning?

Do you use branching scenarios? Games? Another approach? Please share!

Isolating the Results of eLearning Impact

2011-11-30T22:56:00.005-05:00

By Shelley A. Gable

A recent project renewed my interest in Level 3 and Level 4 evaluation methodologies. That led me to purchase the book, Isolation of Results, by Jack Phillips and Bruce Aaron. Since factors beyond a training effort can influence employee performance – such as marketing campaigns, hiring strategy, and other business initiatives – this book describes ways to calculate how much credit a training effort can claim for improved performance.

To make sure we’re on the same page, Level 3 evaluation refers to measuring transfer of training to the job in terms of observable behaviors. Level 4 is about organizational impact, including return on investment. For more detail, skim a quick review of Kirkpatrick’s four levels of evaluation.

I initially read the book rather casually, at the pace I might read a novel, simply for the sake of getting the gist of the authors’ ideas. With that approach, the 121-page book is a relatively quick read.

Here’s a summary...

Like many books on training evaluation, the authors begin by making a case for the importance of evaluation. The idea is that if we cannot show our clients how training impacts the organization’s bottom line, we risk losing influence, credibility, and possibly funding.

The bulk of the book describes variations of three main approaches to isolating the impact of training.

--1-- Control groups. The book explains that using a control group approach tends to be the most accurate way to isolate training results. Put simply, using a control group involves comparing the performance of two groups: one that receives training and another that does not. That’s the idea...though honestly, that explanation oversimplifies it.

Thankfully, the book acknowledges the challenges many organizations face with using a control group approach, such as the difficulty in forming two equal yet randomly selected groups and the eagerness of clients to apply a training solution broadly in the organization. With that in mind, the authors not only describe the ideal approach to using a control group, including what to keep in mind when selecting individuals for those groups, but they also describe alternative control group approaches. Even if you’re already familiar with the basic concept of a control group, you might pick up some new ideas from this book.

--2-- Trend lines. This approach could work rather well or be incredibly unreliable, depending on the organization you are working with. The first step is to gather historical performance data on the group receiving training and plot performance over time on a graph. For instance, you might plot monthly sales figures from the past two years. Based on that, calculate a trend line to predict what performance would likely be in the future. The book explains the mathematical model for this, and many data-oriented applications (such as Microsoft Excel) can figure this out.

Next, identify other factors that might influence performance and find out their projected impact. For instance, if an upcoming marketing campaign is scheduled, find out what its anticipated impact is. After identifying the anticipated impact of the various other factors identified, training can take credit for any additional improvement in performance.

Considering a quick example, suppose that a sales team is scheduled to complete an eLearning course on sales skills in June. Your initial performance trend line predicted that sales in July would be $20M. The company is running a marketing campaign that is expected to increase sales by $2M in July. If actual sales for July were $23M, it stands to reason that training can take credit for $1M of the increase.

Admittedly, this is another oversimplified explanation. But if this approach interests you, the authors describe it well in the book.

--3-- Expert estimates. This approach involves simply asking people, such as training participants and/or their managers, to estimate the extent that training improved their performance. This can also involve having them identify other factors that influenced their performance and asking them to estimate the amount of influence those factors had as well.

While the authors admit that this is a controversial approach, they also offer arguments in favor of its credibility. They go on to describe ways to obtain data, such as through surveys and focus groups. They emphasize the importance of making training impact estimates conservative, and they explain how using confidence ratings can help you make estimates appropriately conservative.

A couple thoughts for application...

In the spirit of scenario-based instruction, the authors provide several case studies that illustrate the various approaches they describe. At times, the explanations of the approaches can seem complex, but the scenarios illustrate how to make those approaches feasible.

It’s also worth noting that the book assumes you are reasonably well-grounded in Level 3 and Level 4 evaluation. You certainly don’t have to be an evaluation expert to understand the logic presented in the book…but if you have had little exposure to those levels, it’ll likely be more challenging to try to apply their ideas.

What have you read about evaluation?

Have you read this book? If so, what did you think of it? Have you applied the ideas from it? Or, are there other books about evaluation methodology you would recommend?

Custom Branching Navigation with PowerPoint

2011-11-16T10:00:00.002-05:00

By Joseph Suarez

PowerPoint-based rapid eLearning tools, such as Articulate Presenter and Snap by Lectora, allow branched navigation, meaning you can create a non-linear navigation path still controlled through the course player’s next and back buttons. But, did you know it’s also possible to add your own custom navigation buttons onto a slide? Not only is it possible, it’s really simple!

There are just three steps involved. With your course open in PowerPoint 2007 or 2010:

Create a text box, insert a shape, or add an image onto a slide
With the new item selected, click “Action” on the Insert ribbon menu
From the Action Settings box, check “Hyperlink to” and choose a desired action

Here is the full list of all available actions (some may not apply to course development):

Next Slide
Previous Slide
First Slide (restarts course)
Last Slide
Last Slide Viewed
End Show (closes course)
Custom Show
Slide (links to a specified slide)
URL
Other PowerPoint Presentation
Other File

It’s also possible to add most of what is on this list to an object by clicking “Hyperlink” (the button left of “Action” on the ribbon). But, since actions are simpler to add and have more options, you might as well just use them instead.

Be sure your text describes the action accordingly, and write from a user’s point of view as a course taker. Here are some examples:

“Review Course” - returns to first slide
“Exit Course” - uses “End Show” action
“Retry Quiz” - links to a specific slide with a quiz

Taking the idea one step further, it’s possible to combine these custom navigation buttons with the rapid eLearning tool-controlled branching. A perfect example would be a quiz branching to pass and fail slides as shown in the basic example below.

First, create the necessary pass and fail slides after the quiz slide.

Next, set up the slide branching with your rapid eLearning tool. Articulate Quizmaker can branch to different slides on pass/fail directly. Snap allows the same ability through the “Slide Explorer” screen.

Then add your links or buttons with custom actions to the corresponding page. In this example, the fail page doesn’t allow the user to exit the course. Instead, a user must either retry the quiz or review the course material (return to slide 1), which eventually leads to another attempt to pass the quiz. Once the quiz is passed, the “Exit Course” link uses an End Show action to close the course.

Techniques like this can be employed throughout a course to both enable and enhance branching navigation. Just be sure not to go overboard with the idea. Too much jumping around can disorient the user taking the course.

Building eLearning Scenarios in Working Sessions with SMEs

2011-11-09T23:51:00.003-05:00

By Shelley A. Gable

We know that scenarios benefit performance by immersing learners into workplace situations within training. The storytelling quality of scenarios helps make the lessons learned in training memorable. And there are many ways to incorporate stories and scenarios into eLearning.

But how do you write these scenarios in the first place?

After all, crafting a realistic scenario requires leveraging tacit knowledge that only a subject matter expert (SME) might possess. Knowledge that is often not documented, even in the most comprehensive knowledge management systems.

Solution: Schedule a working session to partner with a SME on scenario writing.

By a working session, I mean a meeting where you and a SME draft the text of the scenario together.

Since I work with clients virtually, for me this means sharing a document in a web-conferencing session and typing out the details of the scenario as we discuss it.

From your analysis efforts at the start of the project, you likely have a sense of how a particular scenario should be structured and what skills it should prompt learners to exercise. You might even know which situations to base the scenarios on.

You probably know enough to build a basic structure, but you need the help of a SME to fill in blanks with realistic details.

Here’s a quick example...

I recently designed training on negotiation. I knew that the scenarios needed to follow the basic formula below.

Learners start with minimal background information about the other party

Learners ask questions to learn about the other party’s needs

Learners position an offer

Learners resolve objections by asking additional questions to clarify concerns

Learners either reposition the benefits of the original offer or modify the offer

Learners confirm and set up the agreed-upon resolution

Learners must be able to do the above with people of varying levels of cooperation

Based on prior conversations with the client, I knew what types of scenarios to create. What I needed help with was writing realistic dialog.

Before meeting with the client, I created a storyboard of the eLearning lesson to lay out the intended structure of the scenario. I also depicted the steps of the scenario in a flowchart, so the client could easily understand and validate the scenario’s flow.

During the meeting, I simply asked the SME questions to create dialog for the scenario. I asked questions such as:

In this situation, what questions would your best performers ask the other party?

What questions do less experienced or struggling performers ask?

How does a typical person respond to each of those questions?

How does an uncooperative person tend to respond to each question?

How would your best performer position the offer?

How would your less experienced or struggling performers position the offer?

What objections do you typically hear in response to an offer like that?

And so on...

I typed the dialog into the storyboard while the SME answered my questions. Dialog for the best performers became the correct answer for each step in the scenario. Dialog for the struggling performers became the distracters (i.e., incorrect options) in the scenario. Typical responses from the other party become part of the feedback for each step in the scenario.

Is this how you write scenarios?

Some who read this may shrug their shoulders and think, “this seems basic – this is what I’ve always done.” If you’ve conducted a task analysis, the logic above is likely familiar.

But I never used to do this.

After conducting the analysis, acquiring access to relevant information, and gaining buy-in from the client for the training design, I would try to write the training materials as independently as possible. That included writing scenarios myself, perhaps just asking a SME a few clarifying questions when needed. And I know at least some of the other instructional designers I’ve worked with have taken this more independent approach.

Working independently on scenarios may work if the instructional designer is also a SME. However, when the instructional designer is not a SME, there’s a risk the scenarios will lack the level of detail needed to make it as realistic as possible. These types of details often emerge through conversation, but might not come up from an approver who is simply reviewing the training materials for accuracy.

So what do you do? Are you among those who try to write scenarios as independently as possible? Do you take a collaborative approach with SMEs? Or do you do something else? Please share!

Slide in Text with Lectora

2011-11-02T08:00:00.000-04:00

by Jonathan Shoaf

There is not much worse than static text in online learning. Learners go online to get immersed and engaged. They pick up a book to read text. So I try to be careful about how I use text when I am developing a course. I like text to be timely, simple, and sparse. One way to be smart about using text is to have it slide in when you want it and slide out when you are done. This post shows how to do that.

Group Text and Container

The first step is to create your text and place on a container.

Add a Text Block to your page
Add a Shape or Image as the text container

In this example, I added a transparent PNG image. The text should be placed on top of the image so that it is visible. Once you have the text positioned as desired on the image, group them together by doing the following.

Select the Image and Text Block items (use control-click)
Right-click and select Group
Name the group "Text Slider"
Uncheck Initially Visible (we do not want to see the text until we say so!)

The text slider is now ready to go.

Animate the Text Slider

Let's set it up so the text will animate from the top of the screen. First, put the Text Slider in the position you want it when it is to be read by the learner. Since we want the text to appear to be sliding in, not moving in, the text should be placed so the Text Slider top is at the top of the page (i.e. y = 0).

Next, we'll use transitions for the sliding behavior. Since we want the text and its container image to work in tandem, we'll edit the transition for the Text Slider group (not each individual item).

Select the Text Slider group
Go to the Properties and click the Transitions tab
Check Transition In and set the Type to Fly Top
Optionally, set the transition speed towards the slower end (my preference)

This will animate the Text Slider into position when it is shown. Now, we need to show it. To do this, I created a new text block and added an on mouse click action to it.

Set the action to occur on Mouse Click
Set the Action to Show
Set the Target to Text Slider

Now save and run the project. When you click on the link, the text box should appear to slide out of the top of the page.

So, how do you make the Text Slider slide back off the page? It is pretty similar to what you just did. Go back to the Transitions tab in the properities for the Text Slider. Check the Transition Out box with the same settings. Create another text box with an action set to Hide this time. Now it will slide in and out. Click here to see the final working example.

eLearning in a Geodesic World

2011-10-26T20:38:00.006-04:00

By Dean Hawkinson

I recently had the privilege to attend a two-day workshop conducted by Dave Meier, the author of “The Accelerated Learning Handbook.” Mr. Meier challenged us to always focus our material on how the learner can build his or her own learning. For eLearning, it shifts our paradigm from a course being a learning “event” to creating an entire learning environment in which the eLearning course is only a piece of the learning.

Geodesic Thinking

Mr. Meier explained that previous learning environments reflected a linear mindset. Traditional classroom and eLearning environments come from this thinking. The classroom consisted of an instructor imparting wisdom to the students, and eLearning was simply a manner of completing a course in a very linear fashion. However, we now live in a very geodesic world, as demonstrated by the image below.

In a geodesic world, we are all resources for each other. The internet and tools like social media have created this world where we are all inter-connected. We are now designing for communities rather than individual learners. We all learn from and rely on each other for our learning. We want to create learning environments where we can get people to be responsible for the whole learning experience by social interaction and support in learning new skills.

eLearning and Geodesic Thinking

Much of Mr. Meier’s material focused on instructor-led environments, but he had some great ideas for making eLearning more geodesic. Here are a few of his suggestions:

Before starting the program, have learners interview one or two others who have successfully completed the program. Have them ask for some ways to get the most out of the program.
Chunk the information into segments (10-15 minutes each) that requires the learner to do something active upon completion such as:
- Solve problems that require them to access reference material they have to use on the job
- Go into the workplace and interview other employees using survey or research questions that you provide to them
- Download a document that requires them to fill in the blanks as they complete the program
- Create a job aid to be used on the job and shared with others
- Go into the workplace and make a couple of observations and record these in an online file
- Have learners create a colorful pictogram summarizing their learning; they can later copy it and share it with others
Have two people complete the eLearning program together on one computer. Structure it so they each have something to do for each other. Provide tools such as flash cards or provocative questions to challenge one another.
Arrange for two or more people who have just completed the same program to meet face-to-face or on a conference call to discuss what they learned and how to apply it on the job.
Have learners gather in a room and go through the eLearning program together. Have them stop periodically to talk with each other about what they are learning or to answer questions or solve problems provided by the program.
Ask learners to make short, imaginative YouTube presentations for each other to reinforce and extend the learning material included in the program.

What are some other things that have worked well for you to create a geodesic environment for your eLearning programs?

Wrote about Storytelling for eLearn Magazine

2011-10-23T14:34:00.001-04:00

By Shelley A. Gable

Although teaching through telling stories is as old as the human race, storytelling as a learning technique is receiving renewed attention in the training industry.

As an instructional designer, I’m among those who have zoomed in on storytelling. Because of that, several posts on this blog explore how storytelling benefits learning and how to design stories into eLearning.

And since it seems that many of you share that interest, I wanted to let you know that I was recently invited to write an article on the topic for eLearn Magazine.

Click here to view the article, Storytelling in eLearning: The why and how.

Interested in revisiting the posts on this blog on the topic? Click here for a list of posts related to storytelling.

Cheers!

Designing mLearning for Touch Screens

2011-10-19T07:39:00.000-04:00

by Joseph Suarez

These days, more and more organizations are pushing eLearning content onto devices with touch screen interfaces such as smart phones and tablets. It’s an exciting, and sometimes daunting, time to be involved in eLearning development.

However, in the rush to create mLearning that “runs on the iPad,” it’s important not to forget we’re no longer creating training for a mouse and cursor environment. Here are some differences between using a mouse and a touch screen to take into consideration:

No More Mouse Overs or Hovers
Since there is no cursor on a modern touch screen device, there’s no hovering effect achieved when a cursor enters and exits an element like a button. All those nice button color changing effects and specialized actions trigged on mouse enter and exit won’t function correctly on a touch screen.

New Interaction Metaphors and Terminology
Avoid using mouse metaphors such as click, right-click, or hover. New metaphors for touch include tapping, sliding, swiping and flicking. These are collectively known as gestures. At the time of this writing, most eLearning development tools don’t currently take advantage of gestures, but that’s something to look forward to in the not-too-distant future.

Multi-touch
It would be strange to see someone with a mouse in each hand controlling two cursors on screen, yet that’s exactly what multi-touch allows for. Each finger acts like its own mouse cursor, and they can work together to form more gestures like pinching to zoom. Again, this isn’t something that is easy to utilize for eLearning at the moment, but it has huge potential down the road.

More Space around Buttons and Links
A hand moving a mouse cursor only needs a few pixels of space to comfortably click a link or button. However fingers need more space or “hit area” to allow the user to tap on what they need without accidentally triggering something else. Keep this in mind when placing buttons next to each other or creating a list of links.

Whether you or your organization is creating new eLearning for mobile or repurposing existing content, be sure to keep the touch interface in mind. And remember, the “M” in mLearning doesn’t stand for mouse.

Uses for Audio in eLearning

2011-10-16T21:52:00.002-04:00

By Shelley A. Gable

I recently completed an eLearning course (as a learner, not as an instructional designer) on project management. The entire course was narrated. I enjoyed the narration at first – given all the time I spend reading and typing, it was nice to mainly listen. But I changed my mind after five or so minutes.

Why?

First, the audio narration slowed me down. The concepts taught in the course were relatively simple. I felt I could’ve skimmed a text version of the content and retained just as much.

Second, the images on the screen were not instructional. So, while the course avoided the mistake of reading text that appears on the screen (which we know can hinder comprehension), the many images that animated onto the screen throughout the course seemed to be more decorative than meaningful.

Since I didn’t need the visuals to understand the audio, I decided to listen to the course like a podcast while glancing at email and other stuff. Eventually, I got further sucked into the multitasking and found myself half-listening to the course (at best).

So when is audio worthwhile?

Although I had never designed an eLearning course to include full audio narration, the experience reinforced that I probably shouldn’t go down that path in the future. It also got me thinking more concretely about instances where audio does make sense for learning. Here are some ideas...

Dialog. Perhaps the course you’re designing includes scenarios with dialog. Using audio for the dialog can draw learners’ attention to that element of the scenario and increase the realism of the scenario (for conversations that occur aloud in real life).

Storytelling. If the course includes a story, you could use an audio or video recording to convey the story to learners. This allows learners pick up on emphasis and expression that is difficult to convey with text. Enthusiasm exuded by the storyteller might even be contagious for learners.

Demonstration. In the training I completed, the images were more for decoration than instruction. But if you have a flowchart, diagram, or other instructional image, it may make sense to use the full screen for the image while the audio explains it to learners. This can help you avoid blocking areas of the image with text.

What to keep in mind...

The list above is far from comprehensive. The principle to follow is to use audio only when there is a specific reason to use it. When you consider that incorporating audio is an additional project expense (e.g., time to record and edit, increased output file size and storage space needed, etc.), it makes sense that we should have a specific justification for its use.

When do you use audio in eLearning? And how do you decide whether to use audio?

When are System Simulations Appropriate?

2011-10-11T11:27:00.007-04:00

By Dean Hawkinson

System simulations, created using software such as Adobe Captivate, serve several purposes when used in eLearning. They are a great way to learn system navigation without using the actual system. You can create simulations in several different ways, depending on the type of interaction you are looking for in your course.

Types of Simulations

Demonstration (aka Show Me) - Learners watch this type of simulation as a video. A learner can watch the steps in a procedure with text describing what is happening. Or, you can use audio using a recorded narration or text-to-speech technology. While this may be a good way to introduce system navigation, it lacks the interaction required for the learner to truly get “hands on” experience in using the system.

Guided Practice (aka Try Me) – This simulation guides the learner through a procedure. It is as if the learner is actually clicking in the system, but it includes text and/or audio to tell the learner what to do. This is by far the best way to use a simulation in an eLearning course to teach the user navigation, because it includes click-by-click instructions either by text or audio. It is a safe environment where the learner can make mistakes without interfering with actual customer information in a live system. However, it is ineffective at truly testing a learner’s skill, as it is guided.

Assessment (aka Test Me) – This simulation, similar to the Try Me mode, has the learner click through a sequence of steps to reach a desired result. The difference is that there is no guidance. The learner has to rely on his or her own knowledge to complete the simulation. This is the most effective way to identify if the learner has truly learned to navigate the system. However, you can only set it up to follow a specific path; and with no guidance, the learner can become confused and can get “stuck” in the simulation if he doesn’t follow the correct path and cannot proceed. Fortunately, you can overcome this with feedback “bubbles” that appear when the learner clicks in the wrong places.

Simulations vs. Other Alternatives

Let’s assume that your client informs you that there have been some changes to the system used by sales associates. He knows that simulations have been effective at teaching the system to new hires, and he is asking for a simulation to describe the changes to the system. Upon discussing the changes, you find that there are only a few screens changing and only a few fields on each page. Your audience is already familiar with the current system.

Would you create a simulation for this?

What if the system changes are extensive and the new system looks and feels completely different?

These are the kinds of questions you should consider when it comes to simulations. As I discussed in a previous post about technology advancement, we should never choose the technology to use before understanding the goals training must accomplish.

When deciding whether to use a system simulation, consider the following factors:

How complex is the navigation you are trying to teach? Is it a simple step-by step process with two or three steps? Or, is it a very involved process that includes decision-making and branching? A complex process is often a good fit for a simulation. If it is a simple procedure, consider creating a job aid with screen shots that highlight important areas of the screen and include simple directions. Just make sure your job aid does not turn into a novel! Keep it succinct, focusing on the screen shots and keep text to a minimum.

Do you have access to a training or test environment that allows you to capture images of the procedure without impacting customer accounts and/or proprietary information? If not, creating simulations can get quite challenging. Software like Captivate lets you create simulations with a series of screen shots. Without a training or test environment, you may end up spending a lot of time cleaning up the screen shot images and making sure they all match in size and resolution. You may also spend a lot of time taking out proprietary information if they come from a live system. In the end, this may be the only alternative you have to teach the system if there is not a test or training environment available.

Does your audience have the hardware and software to access the simulations (i.e., do they have Flash capability)? Captivate publishes simulations as Flash files as the default, so you need to ensure that the computers your audience uses includes the capability to play Flash files. Remember, for mLearning, Apple products such as the iPhone and iPad do not run Flash. However, newer versions of simulation software allow creation of HTML5, which alleviates this issue.

What experience do you have in selecting simulations as a learning tool?

Creating Transparent PNGs in PowerPoint

2011-10-05T08:00:00.000-04:00

by Jonathan Shoaf

PowerPoint gets a bad reputation from all the mind numbing presentations millions have been subjected to. This has less to do with PowerPoint's limitations and more to do with a lack of creativity on the part of many presenters. PowerPoint is a very powerful presentation tool that can be used to really enhance the way data is presented.

Think Outside the Box

PowerPoint is also useful for creating cool visual effects outside of a presentation. I often use it to organize my thoughts into visuals or to show someone a concept I'm working on. I also use it to create graphics for my e-learning modules.

This post will provide step-by-step instructions for how to create transparent graphics in PowerPoint and save them as a portable network graphic (PNG) file for use in an e-learning module. Transparency can really enhance the look and feel of your content. I will show you how to make a semi-transparent cloud like the one below.

Creating a Cloud

Let's go ahead and create a cloud. Do this by going to the Insert tab, choosing Shapes, and selecting the cloud shape.

Now adjust the colors and formatting to create a white cloud. To do this, select the cloud and then make sure the Format tab is selected. Change Shape Fill to white.

Next, adjust the outline by selecting Shape Outline and choosing the color gray.

Finally, lets make it a semi-transparent cloud. Right click on the cloud and choose Shape Format. Select the Fill options. Look for the Transparency setting and set it to 50%. This will allow part of the background to come through the cloud when we place it on another image.

Saving the Cloud

The cloud has been created in PowerPoint. Now we need to get it out of PowerPoint and into a format we can use. Right click on the cloud and select Save as Picture. For the Save as type, choose PNG Portable Network Graphics Format. This graphic format works on all of today's browsers and will preserve the transparency settings. JPG and many of the other formats will not preserve the transparency. Click Save to save the file.

Now that you have the cloud graphic outside of PowerPoint , you can use it with your e-learning development tool to create transparent effects.

The background without clouds:

The background after adding PowerPoint clouds:

Emphasizing Noteworthy Content in eLearning

2011-09-29T23:19:00.002-04:00

By Shelley A. Gable

I was part of a team last year that worked on a large eLearning course, which consisted of several hours of eLearning lessons that learners completed over a four-week period. Interestingly, we received feedback that learners were taking excessive notes.

Apparently, the lessons did not provide the cues necessary to help learners distinguish what they ought to jot down versus content they could easily look up later when needed.

Naturally, this prompted us to rethink how to help learners take notes productively.

So how can we provide this guidance to learners?

We know that we should limit training to “must know” information, eliminating the “nice to know” stuff that does not directly impact learners’ ability to perform the objectives. This helps reduce information overload while keeping learners focused on job-related tasks.

However, even after filtering extraneous information from training, learners still should only have to make occasional notes for later. Even if all information in a course is critical, designers still need to find ways to highlight what learners may or may not need to note.

Below are some ideas for providing this type of support in eLearning.

Expectations. In situations where learners will have access to job aids and manuals for reference later, state at the beginning of training that the purpose of the course is to teach them how to use those resources. Explicitly state that they are not expected to memorize course content. Design training activities that prompt learners to refer to job aids while practicing tasks during training, and inform learners of how they can access those same job aids after training completion.

Highlights. If a step in a procedure or cautionary tip is particularly noteworthy, highlight it visually. This can be as simple as placing that text in a colored box on the slide, to make it stand out from other elements on the slide. You could also create a standard icon or label to associate with these occasional critical points, so learners know to pull out the notepad when they encounter those symbols.

Reminders. Even if you inform learners that job aids and other resources will be available after training, remind them periodically throughout training. For instance, when introducing a new procedure, briefly remind learners that the steps are outlined in an accessible job aid; therefore, there is no need to write the steps down.

Structure. You can attempt to limit unnecessary note taking by offering learners a structure for taking targeted notes. For instance, you might offer limited space within a slide for learners to pick out one important point – this is especially handy if the lesson allows learners to print these notes or email notes to themselves. One instructional designer I worked with created a form that prompted learners to record a small number of important points from an entire lesson, which encouraged them to identify a few of the most critical pieces of content.

Scenario-Focus. Training that teaches content in the context of working a scenario can also help limit unnecessary note taking. If learners are consulting job aids and other available resources while learning new tasks, they can easily see what is outlined clearly in the job aid and differentiate that from an undocumented reminder worth capturing in their notes. This distinction can seem less clear when learners are presented with slides packed with information prior to attempting a task themselves.

The intent is to support, not limit.

In sharing these ideas, my intent isn’t to suggest that learners shouldn’t take notes. For some, note taking offers an effective way to reinforce content. Many people say they remember information better if they write it themselves. However, in the specific eLearning course I mentioned earlier in this post, note taking reached record levels, suggesting that we could do a better job of creating focus.

If reading this post sparked other ideas related to this topic, please share!

Backchannels – what’s all the fuss, anyway?

2011-09-21T21:26:00.004-04:00

By Dean Hawkinson

I recently attended the International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI) conference in Orlando, Florida. While there, I engaged in a practice I had never before used known as a backchannel, via the well known micro blogging tool Twitter. Before we define what a backchannel is, we need to define a couple other terms as a foundation for the discussion.

Microblogging – Wikipedia states that microblogs "allow users to exchange small elements of content such as short sentences, individual images, or video links.” It is different from a traditional blog in that it is exactly what the title infers – micro. Twitter, for example, limits your “tweets” (as comments in Twitter are called) to a maximum of 140 characters.

Backchannel – Wikipedia defines a backchannel as “the practice of using networked computers to maintain a real-time online conversation alongside live spoken remarks.” But guess what? In this day and age, you can even use devices such as smartphones and tablets to microblog.

Learners typically use a backchannel for a live, facilitated event, such as virtually facilitated training, a webinar, or a conference.

How It Works

There are a lot of tools that can be used for a backchannel, but one of the most popular is Twitter. Other online tools are available in the marketplace; however, I will refer to using a backchannel in Twitter throughout this post.

In Twitter, participating in a backchannel is as simple as using a hashtag (#) and then a few letters in front of your “tweet” to set it up. For example, the backchannel for the ISPI conference was #ispi. During the presentations, when something important stood out, I would simply pull out my smartphone device, sign into the Twitter application, and enter a “tweet” using the hashtag at the beginning. For example, “#ispi consider using Captivate for eLearning simulations.” Then, anyone can search “#ispi” and locate all of the comments being made on that backchannel.

For virtually facilitated training that uses a tool such as Adobe Connect or Microsoft Live Meeting, the instructor can set up a backchannel using the hashtag (#) functionality, and then let participants know the tag to use.

Positives

There are a few things I would like to point out in support of using a backchannel for learning events. First of all, it is a good way to capture points of a presentation that stand out to you. These short microblogs force you to keep your comments brief and summarize the key points that the facilitator is sharing. Your comments are also available for others to see by searching for the particular hashtag.

Second, in addition to your own assimilation of the key points, you can read others’ microblogs about the same presentation that you are attending. Chances are, someone else may have caught something that you missed, or it may add to your own assimilation of the material. You can also “retweet” someone else’s comments to show up on your own Twitter home page.

Challenges

One of the frustrations that I faced when using the ISPI backchannel is that I wondered who might even be reading my comments and what value those comments actually added. I have to admit that I have really not used Twitter extensively, and I am more familiar with a Facebook environment where I get that instant gratification of knowing people are reading my comments by replying or simply “liking” them. Twitter does not provide the same type of reinforcement, so it left me wondering if they even got read.

Also, using a backchannel can be distracting. A couple of times, I found myself trying to type out my thought on a comment the facilitator had just said, and in the process missing out on something else he was stating while adding the comment. I am guessing that it could also be distracting to the facilitator to see participants on their smartphones while he or she is presenting.

If your company does not allow you to use Twitter, a backchannel may be a challenging option. You may need to use the chat options in Adobe Connect, Microsoft Live Meeting or other conferencing software, which can be distracting if a lot of people trying to “chat” at the same time. Alternatively, some companies may find that this functionality is available in other tools they already use for other purposes, such as Microsoft SharePoint.

That's my experience using a backchannel. What's yours?

That, in a nutshell, is my take on using a backchannel. Have any of you had experience using one in your learning events or other presentations? Feel free to share your experiences here.

Crafting Feedback in Articulate

2011-09-18T08:00:00.001-04:00

E-learning developers are always limited by time and technologies. Like any skilled craftsman, a skilled e-learning developer will be a master at picking the right tool for the job to save time and provide the best possible user experience when given a client's set of requirements for a project. The pragmatic e-learning craftsman will also know when to suggest adjustments to requirements to either save time on the project or provide a better learning experience.

The Development Tool Matters, in this case Articulate

Ok...enough idealism...let's get realistic. I had a project come in the other day where the client requested to use Articulate. The client really liked the look and feel of previous projects designed with Articulate. Articulate does have a very nice look and feel. It's not uncommon for a client to ask for a particular development tool as a proxy for what they really mean: "make it look nice like the last project someone did for me using that tool".

Realistically, tools do matter. The reason is because most e-learning development tools have a particular flavor. That flavor contains a unique look and feel. The look and feel is determined by the technologies and default components of the tool. Most e-learning developers can recognize Captivate text bubbles or an Articulate table of contents when they see one. If you want this unique flavor you will be able to provide the project quicker by using the tool that matches the flavor the client wants. Now I'm being realistic. Nearly all of my projects are sorely limited by time. Such is life...

Ok...now to the task at hand. The client wants the Articulate flavor and being an easy pushover, I mean skilled craftsman, I agree that Articulate is a good fit for the project. Here's the requirement: the client asks to have feedback for questions when the learner misses a question.

Hacking (eh, Crafting) Feedback in Articulate

Articulate Quizmaker has a great way of handling feedback. You can assign feedback to each individual answer choice or general feedback when a question is answered correctly or incorrectly. You can even insert audio to the feedback. Perfect...let the tool do the work for me. But not so fast...the client wants text, audio, and IMAGES in the feedback. Images? Does Articulate support graphics in feedback? Doh!

Ok...so sometimes a skilled craftsman has to put down the power tools and go back to the wrench. Articulate Quizmaker may not allow graphics in the feedback; however, it does provides the blank slide. So simple, yet so perfect. Just insert a blank slide after each question. Whether the learner gets the question right or wrong, they will receive reinforcement through feedback on the next slide.

I still provide the Quizmaker built-in feedback that lets the learner know if the question was answered correctly or incorrectly...then they are sent to the detailed feedback slide where they can see the text, audio, and IMAGES. This technique can be taken a step further by using branching to go to feedback specific to each answer choice.

As an e-learning developer, whether you are an easy pushover or a skilled craftsman, you are still in the best position to make the best decisions about how to accomplish a task. Listen to the client and then find a way to make the client happy by saving time and providing the best experience for the client's learners. Good luck!

Modal Windows, Overlays, & Boxes, Oh My!

2011-09-14T09:15:00.001-04:00

By Joseph Suarez

Two fundamental questions constantly in the mind of anyone navigating through an eLearning course are, “Where am I?” and “How do I get back to where I was?”

That’s exactly why popping up an overlay of additional content without loading into a new page or slide can be advantageous. Without breaking the user’s navigational frame of reference, additional content, feedback, or interactivity can be presented. In user interface terms, this is referred to as a modal window. It also goes by several other names with subtle differences including modal overlay, dialog box, and lightbox.

Not to be confused with those annoying browser window pop-ups, a modal window temporarily prevents interaction with the original screen by overlaying it with a separate view state and requesting an action be taken before continuing. Ideally, this occurs with some additional visual indication that the original page is inactive such as a faded, darkened, or blurred background. A modal window is typically triggered to appear in response to an event such as a button click or page load.

The process to create a modal window depends on the eLearning authoring tool used, but in the most basic form, it consists of the following: A content container, a text area, and a button to return to the original screen state. More advanced components include a semi-transparent background, text header, icon(s), input fields, images, and/or video.

Modal Windows can be as simple as an alert dialog box, or as complex as a photo gallery. A common technique in eLearning is to use Modal Windows to provide question feedback on quizzes and surveys. But really, there is no reason why we have to stop there. Here are some more potential uses:

Hide long sections of text accessible through a “Click to learn more” link.
Place links to additional information and files inside a modal window.
Pop-up a movie clip and add a “dim the lights” effect.
Hide a course’s table of contents inside a modal window. (Does it really need to be taking up 20% of the screen at all times?).
Prevent accidental course closes with an exit course confirmation box.
Use image thumbnails that open to full size when clicked to save screen space.
Alert the user of important information (use sparingly).

When creating a modal window, always make it clear how to return to the underlying screen, and think through which method works best from a user interface standpoint. Most of the time, a close button or link will suffice, but you may need a pair of OK/Cancel or Yes/No buttons. You’ve no doubt encountered these types of interactions frequently from your computer’s operating system, and you should be able to discern which is appropriate.

There’s plenty of room for creativity with Modal Windows as well. The content containing window doesn’t need to be a boring rectangle. It could be a post-it note, chalk board, or talk bubble. For inspiration, here are a couple links for nice examples of modal windows used on the web.

Remember the Debrief…Even in eLearning

2011-09-07T21:56:00.003-04:00

By Shelley A. Gable

In instructor-led training, post-activity debriefing discussions seem to occur naturally.

Instructional designers know to follow an activity with discussion questions that prompt learners to reflect on what they learned, justify why they made certain decisions during the activity, consider alternatives, and relate it all to their jobs. Facilitator guides tend to include questions along these lines.

Regardless of whether these questions appear in a guide, most seasoned trainers have the experience to recognize the value in debriefing an activity and the skill to facilitate it.

How does a debrief add value?

For starters, asking learners to explain the logic they applied during an activity can help validate that they “got it” (as opposed to making a few lucky guesses). Revisiting that logic also helps reinforce it, increasing the likelihood that learners will recall and replicate the logic or procedure later.

Debriefing also offers an efficient way to explore variations of a situation, by posing “what if” questions. This challenges learners to apply a concept in additional ways, which deepens their understanding without repeating the entire activity for each variation.

Should debriefing occur in eLearning?

Yes! If you have a lesson that asks learners to work through an in-depth scenario or complete several short scenarios, a debrief is likely to enhance learning.

Though unfortunately, the debrief is often missed. Many eLearning lessons follow an activity with a few knowledge check questions that quiz learners on content; however, they lack questions that debrief an experience by prompting reflection.

How can we include debriefing experiences in eLearning?

Slides with text boxes can work well here. That way you can ask open-ended questions and provide space for learners to record as much or as little as they desire. If your authoring tool allows you detect keywords in learners’ responses, you can shape the slide’s feedback to commend or coach learners on key points as appropriate. Even without the ability to detect keywords, a one-size-fits-all feedback response can present learners with potential ideas to compare their responses to.

In some instances, multiple choice or multiple response questions can help debrief an activity. You might use these question types to prompt learners to identify when they would apply content on the job or to rate their confidence levels on various aspects of the content.

A debrief also opens the door to manager involvement. For instance, you might provide learners with debriefing questions to think about, letting them know that their managers will schedule time soon to discuss their ideas. Alternatively, a lesson might prompt learners to discuss their responses using social media or in a brief virtual session with a facilitator.

How do you design debriefs in eLearning?

What methods do you use to debrief learners after activities in an eLearning lesson, to prompt reflection and cement learning? What challenges have you encountered? Please share!