Still rather new at developing e-learning courses and needing help with brainstorming. I'm in the process of turning a basic employee handbook (attendance, drug policy, office attire, harassment, safety, etc) into an e-learning course. I have the flexibility to break it into multiple courses, I just need help in getting started. I am using Storyline. How do I keep the course from becoming a boring click and read? I'm looking for some interactivity, a way for the learner to pull information, and perspective. Any advice would be much appreciated!
Being that it is mandatory makes it a little more trickly. Mainly because many of the participants of the course will not want to be there.
So here is my two cents:
Approach
One idea would be to have a course containing the "must know" information when they enter the organization. Keep it to what they have to know. Then you can build other courses containing more detailed information in each section that has to be completed within the next two months or so. That way they take in the information a bit at a time.
Another approach is to ask to participant to look up the information. If they need to know how many days in advance they need to request vacation, then ask them to find the answer in the handbook. This is assuming the handbook is electronic and easily searchable. One advantage of this is that they get used to answering their own questions instead of being spoon fed the information.
Design
As for design you might think about creating a virtual office with folders and drawers labeled with the different sections of the handbook. Clicking on the folder or drawer will take the participant to that scene.
You could also simulate a conversation with an employee and a boss as they deal with different situations.
Lastly, you could always create a superhero and make it a comic book story. But that takes a lot of creativity, time, and effort so it may not be worth it.
I hope something I wrote sparks an idea that is useful to you.
Hi, I have created something similar for a transport organisation. As Travis has said, get them to go and look up the information then come back and answer the questions. I would also break it up into multiple modules wherever possible, maybe Your Organisation, (which would have Policies, Attendance etc), Health & Safety, Work Attire, that way it isn't too overbearing for the new learner.
Design - I made mine a road, (because we are transport) with stops along the way that the user could click on to go to the different sections, so try to theme it around the type of business you are in. Or I like Travis's idea of folders and drawers too.
In some areas, where I asked a question, I put on the slide where they could find the information before answering, so I wasn't setting them up to fail, but encouraging them to go off into our intranet, read the appropriate bits, then come back and successfully fill in what was required.
How about breaking out the course into smaller sections and each section represents a machine. The viewer has to view and complete each section to make that "part" work. Once all the parts work, the machine (company) becomes alive with activity like a well oiled...err machine.
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What is the purpose of the course(s)? Will this be a mandatory course, just in time resource, etc?
The course(s) will be mandatory, as a part of new employee training.
Being that it is mandatory makes it a little more trickly. Mainly because many of the participants of the course will not want to be there.
So here is my two cents:
Approach
One idea would be to have a course containing the "must know" information when they enter the organization. Keep it to what they have to know. Then you can build other courses containing more detailed information in each section that has to be completed within the next two months or so. That way they take in the information a bit at a time.
Another approach is to ask to participant to look up the information. If they need to know how many days in advance they need to request vacation, then ask them to find the answer in the handbook. This is assuming the handbook is electronic and easily searchable. One advantage of this is that they get used to answering their own questions instead of being spoon fed the information.
Design
As for design you might think about creating a virtual office with folders and drawers labeled with the different sections of the handbook. Clicking on the folder or drawer will take the participant to that scene.
You could also simulate a conversation with an employee and a boss as they deal with different situations.
Lastly, you could always create a superhero and make it a comic book story.
But that takes a lot of creativity, time, and effort so it may not be worth it.
I hope something I wrote sparks an idea that is useful to you.
I am pretty new, as well, and found a LOT of inspiration in Tom's blogs: http://www.articulate.com/rapid-elearning/
Hi, I have created something similar for a transport organisation. As Travis has said, get them to go and look up the information then come back and answer the questions. I would also break it up into multiple modules wherever possible, maybe Your Organisation, (which would have Policies, Attendance etc), Health & Safety, Work Attire, that way it isn't too overbearing for the new learner.
Design - I made mine a road, (because we are transport) with stops along the way that the user could click on to go to the different sections, so try to theme it around the type of business you are in. Or I like Travis's idea of folders and drawers too.
In some areas, where I asked a question, I put on the slide where they could find the information before answering, so I wasn't setting them up to fail, but encouraging them to go off into our intranet, read the appropriate bits, then come back and successfully fill in what was required.
Good luck.
Just an idea for layout and design.
How about breaking out the course into smaller sections and each section represents a machine. The viewer has to view and complete each section to make that "part" work. Once all the parts work, the machine (company) becomes alive with activity like a well oiled...err machine.
A lot of great ideas here. Thanks to all. Can't wait to try some of them with our next project.
Hello Ina...would love to see what you finally come up with! Good luck to you!
Feel free to send it to my personal email: srosputko@gmail.com...you could always set up a dropbox on www.dropbox.com as well...it's a cloud solution
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