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Check here to see the answers to a variety of eLearning questions. Have a burning question yourself? Email the Phasient Experts.
Topics
Choosing types of interactivity
Q & A
"Part of our new hire orientation training is teaching new employees all the acronyms and specialized terminology we use. What kind of interactivity can you suggest for this?"
Terms and definitions work well with drag and drop activities. List all definitions on one side of the page, with a clearly-defined space to drop the terms. List the terms on the other side, and ask learners to drag each term to the definition. To add complexity, group only like terms together and have more definitions than terms!"
"I'm working on a course to teach our field agents about changes to our insurance products. How can I make it engaging?"
For salespeople, it's importatnt to keep the material short, targeted, and usable. Share examples and stories they can use in their own presentation. Focus on features and benefits, and help learners apply what they learn through realistic scenarios. For example, provide audio of a "customer" describing his situation, then ask the learner to recommend the best insurance product.
"How can I manage the different paths during development? It seems like it would be hard to keep track of all the paths
and audiences."
The key to managing learning paths during development is to write a complete, detailed script before you begin. For each page, start with the content common to all paths, then write the question or other prompt that signals the branch in the path. At that point, make a note to remind yourself what branches you have in mind (something like "answer A=path 1, answer B=path 2"). Choose one and follow it through to its end. When you complete one path, go back and choose a second path, label it clearly "Path 2" for development, and write the second path. This method allows you to focus on the audience for the current path without fear that you are leaving something out. Once the course is developed, test thoroughly by choosing each answer in turn.
"How can I create learning paths if that isn't a function of my authoring tool?"
Most authoring tools allow you to skip pages or show additional information when a learner clicks a link. You can use these features to create learning paths. Another method is to use the technique you would use in print: tell the learner to "skip to page 10!"
"I understand why eliminating pain and having an immediate impact is important, but is it really best to start with?"
Definitely. When you develop your first course, you establish and refine your development process. The less difficult the course content itself, the more attention you can give the process. This is true whether you develop the course yourself (as you learn to use your authoring tool) or outsource development (as you refine the relationship).
"The audience for our eLearning courses is customers who purchase our software products. Do the same guidelines apply?"
You still want to consider greatest pain and biggest impat, but from your customer's point of view. Which courses will address their pain and give them the biggest impact? You want your customers to view the eLeraning program as a real value. Choose a course that will have a wide audience so that it saves time and provides consistent training for as many of the customer's employees as possible. Or create an introductory course that provides a basic level of training so everyone can get started.
"How can I involve my learners and gain their feedback?"
There are many ways you can listen to your learners to ensure your training is hitting the mark. Just a few ideas: talk with a random sample of learners, invite a learner to participate in the course development process, design a survey at the end of your course, create a social networking group (via Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.) that will allow learners to respond to posted questions about the courses.
"How do I determine if I can use documentation rather than a formalized training course?"
Consider the nature of the information, its importance and the number of learners when determining what can be handled
by documentation.
"If I involve all of the stakeholders in our eLearning program, won't the process for developing the eLearning program
become impossible?"
The key is to involve people appropriately. Consider the needs of each of the stakeholders and involve them only when necessary. For example, if the marketing department must approve the use of company logos and colors, perhaps they can approve a course template early in the process instead of attending every development meeting.
"How do I know what's important to each stakeholder?"
Ask them. Identify the key people who can help or hold back your eLearning program. Make an appointment or send an e-mail to each one asking what they expect from the program and how they think it can help them do their jobs better. As you roll out the program, check back periodically to make sure the program is accomplishing their goals and to get feedback.
