The key to good experiential eLearning is knowing how to use the Layers, States and Triggers functions in Articulate Storyline 360. Layers allow you to determine what objects on screen the learner can interact with at a given time in the task. States allow you to change how an object on a layer looks, or even “hide” them, so that the learner’s experience and feedback changes based upon their choices. Finally, Triggers are what you use to tell objects on the screen to change and reveal unique feedback based upon the learner’s choices. Triggers are how you code consequence or success of real word practice, but isn’t all that heard to learn. Let me show you! (Note that the sample below is not from an actual course, but is being used to demonstrate how these three actions relate.)

Microlearning is one of the most trendy terms in learning today. However, I have found it is also one of the most misunderstood ones as well. If you are going to have a chance to successfully implement micro learning in your company or marketing program, it helps to know some key things around it. You truly need to have a well-defined knowledge of “who” the learning is for so that you can create a customizable delivery platform.

If you develop eLearning, or work in corporate communications and marketing, you have likely been handed a script that a stakeholder wants to have recorded to synchronize with their presentation.  If that sounds like you, and you have a copy of the freeware Audacity, then you are in luck. Audacity has a feature that allows you to tag your single audio file and export it into multiple files, all labeled and ready to insert and match to your visuals!

When recording talent that is not accustomed to modulating their voice, like you may often find in corporate environments, making sure your audio is the correct loudness is important to the integrity of your learning product.

At the heart of any Agile method of development is the ability to brainstorm concepts with your stakeholders, try them out as prototypes, and be able to toss and modify them before a lot of time is spent in development. The SAM Model was introduced by Dr. Michael Allen of Allen Interactions.

SAM is all about filtering out any lesser effective design prototypes early, and trying out a few different possible solutions, rather than settling on the first one and not testing your idea until the end of the project timeline.

This is often an issue found in the pure ADDIE, or “waterfall”, method. SAM is not unlike ADDIE in its phases, but how and when these phases happen make all the difference. In ADDIE, implementing and evaluating for the first time follow analysis, design and development.

SAM is all about moving design prototype review and feedback to the top of the model, and not waiting until after development to test how feasible it is to the learning audience. Before we spend time and dollars to develop, we want to know that both users and our stakeholder have a very high confidence we are using the right design treatments to meet the behavioral objectives.

SAM is a better choice for learning courses and curriculums that are highly experiential and tend to cost more dollars and time to make. The fewer behavioral variables there are, the more likely the ADDIE waterfall model can actually save time with little risk. Think of ADDIE being safer for passive knowledge transfer learning with limited branches, scenarios and feedback.

The old saying is that a picture is worth a thousand words. Now consider that video can pack 30 images per second.  That’s a lot of image snagging conservation!

I do a fair amount of platform and software training projects.  I am also of the school that believes that the best way to learn a computer-based job task is in the same context, on a computer.

Screencasts allow me to not only teach new hires on my team how to do team procedures, but allows us to simultaneously train existing staff on new procedures with little time away from their work, and a chance to replay the training when the time is right for them.

They also give me a chance to work with subject matter experts in a capacity that makes them the star of the end product.  If I have a trainer who is doing a bang-up job in the classroom and the students are constantly asking where they can get more information after class is over, then we have their request fulfilled!  This leads to better rapport with my stakeholders, trainers and subject matter experts and leaves them eager to help me again. SME rapport – priceless!

I also find that updating a screencast is so much faster than digging through mountains of PowerPoint slides with dated screen shots that need to be managed and updated at an alarming rate, not to mention the time it takes for an end-user to digest mountains of fact-based course contents.

Having said that, there are many times I will use screen shots for a quick teaching moment.  These usually are saved for embedding in emails for a very short process or doing some fast tech support.  So TechSmith if you are reading this I wont be giving up Snagit anytime soon, and thank you for including video capture in your base tool. Kudos!

Not every type of microphone is right for your eLearning application, based upon where you will be recording. For noisy offices or conference rooms, you will want a dynamic podcasting style. For the most natural sound, or voice acting, if you have a quiet office or at home environment then a cardioid condenser is a great choice. Here is a quick video to help you sort that out.