Does anyone have any suggestions on how to include links to company information, documents, etc. in an E-Learning course? I am working on a training that includes many links to forms and pages on our company Intranet, and I am not sure how to include these on my slides without them looking out of place or disjointed. In the past, our trainings have included underlined links within the bullet points, but I am wondering f if there are some better ideas out there...
If you are using Articulate, my first suggestion is to consider the Attachments Tab option. Learners love having resource material served up to them in that manner.
Another idea might be to create an area on every slide dedicated to "resources" or "more info". Could even make that a click activated object that opens and serves up your html links and descriptions.
Thinking of a company notice board/corkboard, with stickies on it, each with Text Box that hyperlinks to an http:// resource on-site?
Or a "doors" idea, where each door has a Dept. Label on it, and you do the same sort of thing.
Or picture frames (or a Gallery?) with different photos of buildings, the board etc etc. and a series of nested hyperlinks to source
information.
You could possibly use Wordle, with the various functions sized based on their proportional # of staff, all horizontally aligned, and again, (can you guess what I am going to say here...), us a series of .ppt shapes / rectangles behind each one, no fill, no border, and hyperlink the shape to a url. You would need the shapes to ensure wherever they clicked on the word it made the connection.
It's going to be much better to have them "do" something, or click "on something", in investigative mode rather than use bullets and hyperlinks, aand it can all be done/hiddden in .ppt.
Good luck. Sure many more ideas will flow from the community.
If you have a company intranet where the links are also on pages there, include a screenshot of those pages so you show people also where the links are. (Or first do a screencast and then use a static image.)
Then make the links on the screenprint(s) clickable by putting a transparent PPT shape over the link(s) and adding a hyperlink to each.
Thanks for all the great ideas. I think that using the Attachments Tab option is a good choice, as well as a "Resources" area perhaps in the form of a chalkboard. I am trying to incorporate these links into the slides themselves, so that when, for example, we are on the topic of Interviewing Techniques, we can link directly to our "Illegal Interview Questions" document on our Intranet. I don't want to make an entire slide to address this document alone, I just want to include it as an additional resource or tool.
I appreciate all of your ideas and hope they will continue to flow!
In recent courses, I have provided a paperclipped paper image with a click-box type link (sorry this is a Captivate course, not Articulate!) that people have given good feedback on. Feel free to steal the image, it's all manipulated clip art
One of the ways I've done this is with an animated "pocket" slide. Each document slides up out of the pocket and is linked to the appropriate resource.
One of the ways I've done this is with an animated "pocket" slide. Each document slides up out of the pocket and is linked to the appropriate resource.
I think it is the wipe animation. Let me know if you have any trouble and I'll get you the PPT file...and I just finished a Bloodborne pathogens course too.
One of the ways I've done this is with an animated "pocket" slide. Each document slides up out of the pocket and is linked to the appropriate resource.
very nice-- an idea i will shamelessly steal! tks! ; )
This will depend on what sort of background you are using. I recently completed a Staff induction which mainly used a folder/notepad style background. In keeping with that style I used post-its, as suggested by Bruce, as hyperlinks to policy doc on our intranet.
Where would I be without all of you? I just sent Mike a note asking for the ppt. I have only 20 hours this month to develop (including updating all material) two courses and get them tested, hosted and posted. I am grabbing all the predone material I can get from all of you! You are going to make me a a super star when I meet this deadline. FANTASTIC ideas! The only thing I can add is I am creating a "course page" on sharepoint for each of our courses. This page will be where we house the most updated learning material. The latest approved ppt for traditional courses, the link to courses for online learning, all extra material and in one case a blog since the material is being redone so we can get comments. Another course is going to have a place that will be "ask an expert" and it will email someone when people have a question. We figured having pages in our training site for each course that contained all the pieces might be useful. Once we finish the first one I will let you know!
Since I've had a couple requests for the PPT file, I've posted it on my blog. You can grab a copy and see a published version there: http://bit.ly/jbinSA
I just want to say that this community is incredible. I came to the site today looking for some ideas. I am experiencing some designers block, and wow! This post alone has given me many new ideas. It is really easy to forget about this Community area. Thanks to all of you.
I was actually looking up a totally different problem and kind of got side tracked - Glad I did, these ideas are great! thatnks for the links Mike and Meg, I combine Captivate and Articulate so both will help a lot.
I'm a few years late to this post, but seriously, it's just as awesome today as it was 4 years ago! Some random searching led me here and I am very grateful for this template! Thanks Mike!
22 Replies
Hi Jessica,
If you are using Articulate, my first suggestion is to consider the Attachments Tab option. Learners love having resource material served up to them in that manner.
Another idea might be to create an area on every slide dedicated to "resources" or "more info". Could even make that a click activated object that opens and serves up your html links and descriptions.
Hope this helps,
Thinking of a company notice board/corkboard, with stickies on it, each with Text Box that hyperlinks to an http:// resource on-site?
Or a "doors" idea, where each door has a Dept. Label on it, and you do the same sort of thing.
Or picture frames (or a Gallery?) with different photos of buildings, the board etc etc. and a series of nested hyperlinks to source
information.
You could possibly use Wordle, with the various functions sized based on their proportional # of staff, all horizontally aligned, and again, (can you guess what I am going to say here...), us a series of .ppt shapes / rectangles behind each one, no fill, no border, and hyperlink the shape to a url. You would need the shapes to ensure wherever they clicked on the word it made the connection.
It's going to be much better to have them "do" something, or click "on something", in investigative mode rather than use bullets and hyperlinks, aand it can all be done/hiddden in .ppt.
Good luck. Sure many more ideas will flow from the community.
Bruce
If you have a company intranet where the links are also on pages there, include a screenshot of those pages so you show people also where the links are. (Or first do a screencast and then use a static image.)
Then make the links on the screenprint(s) clickable by putting a transparent PPT shape over the link(s) and adding a hyperlink to each.
Thanks for all the great ideas. I think that using the Attachments Tab option is a good choice, as well as a "Resources" area perhaps in the form of a chalkboard. I am trying to incorporate these links into the slides themselves, so that when, for example, we are on the topic of Interviewing Techniques, we can link directly to our "Illegal Interview Questions" document on our Intranet. I don't want to make an entire slide to address this document alone, I just want to include it as an additional resource or tool.
I appreciate all of your ideas and hope they will continue to flow!
-Jessica
Hi Jessica,
In recent courses, I have provided a paperclipped paper image with a click-box type link (sorry this is a Captivate course, not Articulate!)
that people have given good feedback on. Feel free to steal the image, it's all manipulated clip art 
see screenshot:
and image for "stealing"
woops, just realized that was the wrong version, but you can use that too, but here's the one I used in the screenshot above:
and a black one:
and the screenshot for the version above:
One of the ways I've done this is with an animated "pocket" slide. Each document slides up out of the pocket and is linked to the appropriate resource.
This is just what I need for my bloodborne pathogens course. How did you make the documents slide out of pocket?
I think it is the wipe animation. Let me know if you have any trouble and I'll get you the PPT file...and I just finished a Bloodborne pathogens course too.
Great ideas! Thanks!
Hi All,
This will depend on what sort of background you are using. I recently completed a Staff induction which mainly used a folder/notepad style background. In keeping with that style I used post-its, as suggested by Bruce, as hyperlinks to policy doc on our intranet.
Where would I be without all of you? I just sent Mike a note asking for the ppt. I have only 20 hours this month to develop (including updating all material) two courses and get them tested, hosted and posted. I am grabbing all the predone material I can get from all of you! You are going to make me a a super star when I meet this deadline. FANTASTIC ideas! The only thing I can add is I am creating a "course page" on sharepoint for each of our courses. This page will be where we house the most updated learning material. The latest approved ppt for traditional courses, the link to courses for online learning, all extra material and in one case a blog since the material is being redone so we can get comments. Another course is going to have a place that will be "ask an expert" and it will email someone when people have a question. We figured having pages in our training site for each course that contained all the pieces might be useful. Once we finish the first one I will let you know!
Since I've had a couple requests for the PPT file, I've posted it on my blog. You can grab a copy and see a published version there: http://bit.ly/jbinSA
I got a request for the source file for those link ideas, so in case anyone cares to take a look, it's a Captivate 5 file
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/22535571/Link_ideas.cptx
there's a few additional link types in there, different graphics & stuff, hope you enjoy! :)
Meg
A big thanks to Mike for this great example as it will help with my audience! Thanks to Meg as well for the C5 file!
this is a fantastic idea. Thank you
Wow! What great idea. Thanks so much for sharing!
I just want to say that this community is incredible. I came to the site today looking for some ideas. I am experiencing some designers block, and wow! This post alone has given me many new ideas. It is really easy to forget about this Community area. Thanks to all of you.
I was actually looking up a totally different problem and kind of got side tracked - Glad I did, these ideas are great! thatnks for the links Mike and Meg, I combine Captivate and Articulate so both will help a lot.
I'm a few years late to this post, but seriously, it's just as awesome today as it was 4 years ago! Some random searching led me here and I am very grateful for this template! Thanks Mike!
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