Dev Learn Thoughts Day 2 Nov 1

Day 2 started off great with a hearty breakfast. What a difference that makes.

Been reading the Rapid Elearning blog for a long time and finally got a chance to see Tom Kulhman present. His design is so clean and simple. He uses interesting names for his design model such as the Gilligan, the Dig Dug, The 3C.

http://www.articulate.com/rapid-elearning/

Taking a click next course to interactive involves implementing the three trifecta

The Interactive Trifecta

When it comes to creating interactive elearning, I focus on three key principles. And they’re principles that are repeated throughout this blog.

Great examples here:

http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4881819329242734934#editor/target=post;postID=3368791702965370456

Soft Skill Simulation

Development Process

The intent of the simulation was to put the new hires in the situations they would face in the field and give them a chance to practice the skills they had learned during the earlier training.

Content, Context, and Coaching is the key to success for any e-learning program. Often, you can get two out of the three, but it’s difficult to get them all. Content refers to the need for good, relevant content. Context is the setting and Coaching is the remedial/feedback portion of the process. This is the C3 model as it exists at the macro level, but a similar approach at the “question level” also exists in the form of Challenges, Choices, and Consequences. The course was built around a number of branching scenarios in which the learners had to make decisions about how they would respond.

1. Define the Project

Defining the project was the first step in the process.

After defining the project’s purpose and analyzing the audience, the structure of the course was determined. The team decided to develop four “rounds” of approximately 30 minutes each that involved scenarios based on the more likely interactions new hires would actually have on the job. Thus, the emphasis here was on storytelling and placing the learner in real-life situations. An effort was made to map the simulation to the structured training that had been provided earlier, and this analysis was assembled into a table that reflected the scoring, issues and challenges the learners would face.

2. Design the Project

In Chris’ view, content is still king because it must be relevant to, and resonate with, the learners. So in the second project step on design, scripts were written and then validated by the client; this included the various pathing points through the course. Articulate Storyline was used to create a mock-up or prototype of the simulation (and, ultimately, the course itself). The design portion of the course concluded with usability testing to make sure the overall usage and design of the application aligned well with learner needs. For the testing, learners had to walk all of the paths through the course.

3. Develop the Project

The develop portion of the process was next. This consisted of actually building the simulation, performing functional testing and then, as the shell was completed, additional assets were developed to support the training. This included shooting of the videos used in the course and creating graphics, all of which were created in realistic, job-related environments. When these steps were complete, an alpha build was generated that people could play with.

4. Deliver the Project

In the delivery phase, the team began with an internal review using new people not previously involved in the process. This helped identify further changes that needed to be made. A pilot was then conducted by the actual learners for whom the training was being developed, and additional changes and modifications were made to the program. Also, the pilot was conducted in a room with many players at the same time, so feedback was obtained in real-time. After this collaboration with the testers, final revisions were made. The course was then published in multiple formats using Storyline.

Demo

The project is delivered to multiple learners as a “team” of 2-3 at the same time. The underlying theme is a “day in the life” of the employee.

To start, the course introduces characters that learners will see throughout the program. After some further introductory information, the first scenario is shown. Learners then walk their own path through the simulation and, using intrinsic feedback, learners see the consequences of their actions as they continue through each round of the program.

At the end of the first round, scores are given based on the responses. The course is designed in such a way that every decision made could impact on multiple learning points. After the scores are displayed, a recap is given that evaluates the learner’s performance and provides feedback on the decisions they made, and what might have been better choices to make in that situation.

Lessons Learned

An interesting aside: The more experienced learners who went through the course tended to get the lower scores. Marvin surmised this was because they were trying to “win,” rather than thinking about the particular situation directly facing them.

Here are the lessons learned:

• It’s a lot easier to do this work now than it would have been 10 years ago.
• Starting slow is not a bad thing. We can build up to simulation-type e-learning.
• Get the actual audience involved early so you can benefit from their feedback.
• Build-test-revise and repeat to reduce waste and ensure a good product.
• Save everything! This helps evaluate success and encourage re-use on other projects so that the next ones will be even better.

Fix Boring elearning

Cammy Bean

1. Get their attention: Use headlines, a catchy context or perhaps even juxtaposition to grab the learner’s attention. To demonstrate the latter point, she showed an opening course splash screen of a young, black teen; as he stands there looking at the camera, the phrase “Ever been treated differently…” scrolls across the screen. The implication is that yes, this person has been treated differently because of his skin color. Then, the rest of the phrase scrolls on to the screen: “because of your age?” The point is that we need to get the learner’s attention somehow; use whatever works and is tasteful and relevant to your content.
2. Set direction: Use WIIFM that really matters – write in a way that people will want to read or hear. Be conversational. And object to learning objectives as we know them; Cammy is very much in line with Michael Allen’s thoughts on this. For example, she suggests the following “objective” for a short module: “A five minute briefing on what you must know about” so and so.
3. Present information: Get the best stories you can find and use them. Courses should have stories. It’s also fine to use simple videos of people talking and answering questions too. Make the graphics count by making them appropriate, relevant and attractive. Think outside the course by getting out of the event mentality – give learners an assignment that takes the learning out into the real world. And, where possible, space the content out over time to promote retention.
4. Exemplify and practice: Make it “hurt so good” by not asking questions that are too simple; try to make all the answer alternatives real and plausible. But don’t be tone deaf – tone matters no matter what the content, so here are 5 specific tips in this area: 1) Keep it light (short, snappy narrative, and to the point; don’t be afraid to have fun), 2) Give it spirit (make the course feel energetic, driven, and engaging), 3) Have a conversation with the learner (be direct and clear; include dialogue and questioning), 4) Call to action (give direction, focus on actions and tasks – it’s what happens next that counts), and 5) Be adult (learners are busy professionals – treat them that way. We’re dealing adult to adult here – don’t patronize the learner by assuming they don’t know anything).