SHIFT's eLearning Blog

10 Things That Learners Pay Attention To (And How to Use Them in eLearning)

kgutierrez@aurainteractiva.com (Karla Gutierrez) — Fri, 29 Sep 2017 17:24:00 GMT

Even more than other types of education, eLearning must struggle to attract learners' attention: the Internet is full of distractions, and adult learners are both busier and more free to indulge in distractions. Helping students to pay attention is a primary concern of training professionals, so here are some optimal methods to win the attention game.

A Place for Everything: Powerful Psychological Strategies for Use in Graphic Design

peter.tgpsychology@plugmx.com (Todd Griffin) — Tue, 26 Sep 2017 22:33:06 GMT

Looking at websites of some of the biggest companies in the world (think Apple and Google), you’ll see they’ve come a long way regarding web and graphic design. From the days of cramming in as much content as possible, we’ve entered an era where every line, image, color, and call-to-action is well researched and tested to grab your attention, keep you engaged and make you take action.

What Happens Next? Post- eLearning Development To Do List

kgutierrez@aurainteractiva.com (Karla Gutierrez) — Thu, 21 Sep 2017 18:12:00 GMT

So, you have completed your eLearning course or module, and you are ready for learners to begin learning from it. Does this mean that you can move onto the next project and forget about the existing one? Absolutely not!

If you think of eLearning Designers as project managers, you begin to see that there are specific ways in which to interact with already created courses. There are essential questions to ask, features to check, and maintenance windows to update in any existing course.

Delivering Engaging eLearning in the Experience Age: Diversifying Content for All Learners

kgutierrez@aurainteractiva.com (Karla Gutierrez) — Tue, 19 Sep 2017 18:22:00 GMT

In the past 200 years, we have seen the agricultural, industrial, and information revolution come to fruition. Our current revolution is that of experience. Everything from personal streaming to escape rooms is created towards giving a unique moment in our lives. Couple with this, we are bombarded with information in all formats at all times of the day. These two shifts have altered the learners’ perception of what their training courses should be like. This can easily become overwhelming when thinking about design. How can you possibly cater to the needs of each learner when you have upwards of 100 or more interacting with the content? Luckily, there are proven strategies for engaging a diverse audience.

Hold the Authoring Tool: What To Do Before Your eLearning Course Design

kgutierrez@aurainteractiva.com (Karla Gutierrez) — Thu, 14 Sep 2017 18:10:00 GMT

When you go into a fun house or corn maze, there are literally dozens of paths that you can try to take. What strategy do you take when trying to complete the course? Do you run as fast as you can, not caring how many wrong turns or dead ends you take? Do you develop a strategy and create markers for yourself, so you don’t back track? Do you set markers and have an idea of how far you have gone? These are all different choices that you make. Similar choices can be made when it comes to authoring an eLearning course. It can be overwhelming to actually sit down and create the course. However, there are tried and true steps to take before firing up that authoring tool.

Theory to Practice: Actionable MicroLearning Tips

kgutierrez@aurainteractiva.com (Karla Gutierrez) — Tue, 12 Sep 2017 18:51:33 GMT

Micro Learning is a hot trend in eLearning design. We all know this. To get up to speed on the theory behind microlearning check out the resources at the end of the blog post.

In the rest of this post, we are focusing specifically on calls to action. That is, how do you actually apply the principles of Micro Learning to your eLearning design? You will be prepared to start thinking micro and create effective learning experiences.

How to Start a High-Impact eLearning Program

kgutierrez@aurainteractiva.com (Karla Gutierrez) — Tue, 05 Sep 2017 18:09:00 GMT

As the workplace moves faster, learning and the designers who make eLearning possible must keep up to ensure employees can adapt. High-impact learning is the answer to this. It is not only fast-paced, but it also involves strategies to increase retention rates, so your students aren’t just learning quickly, they’re able to retain and apply that knowledge.

A large part of high-impact eLearning program’s success is that it involves people in leadership and management positions which help encourage and enforces learning. Results can be recorded and continual, leading to real changes in job performance.

The Rapid Rise of Learning Pathways

kgutierrez@aurainteractiva.com (Karla Gutierrez) — Thu, 31 Aug 2017 18:17:00 GMT

We have access to virtually unlimited information at our fingertips these days. Sound instructional design takes all of this information that is whizzing by in all directions and creates structure around it. This structure focuses on concepts consistent with how people learn. Traditionally, this occurred through macro learning opportunities like classes, degrees, and classroom training programs.

Advancements in technology have allowed two disruptive innovations to emerge: Microlearning and Personalized Learning. These developments are of interest to learning leaders and L&D professionals who aim to equip their employees with the most relevant information while reducing the time, and ultimately money, that is spent on workforce development. At the same time, employees are looking for ways to engage in asynchronous instruction that is tailored to their current knowledge and builds towards complete mastery.

The Importance of Training in Each Stage of the Employee Lifecycle

kgutierrez@aurainteractiva.com (Karla Gutierrez) — Tue, 29 Aug 2017 21:25:51 GMT

Every job position should be viewed in its entirety, from the hiring process to retirement (or resignation/firing). Organizations must provide the circumstances and resources necessary to develop the knowledge, skills, and abilities of their employees every step of the way. This point of view helps organizations set their employees up for success, and has the added benefit of improving employee retention and engagement.

Factors That Affect the Transfer of Training

kgutierrez@aurainteractiva.com (Karla Gutierrez) — Thu, 24 Aug 2017 18:29:00 GMT

Transfer of learning refers to the “ability of a trainee to apply the behavior, knowledge, and skills acquired in one learning situation to another.”1 It’s what makes a job easier and faster as a learner becomes more skilled because they can apply what they already know.