3 Steps for Creating Your First Rise 360 Course

Everything you need to create modern, engaging e-learning is at your fingertips with Rise 360. Not sure where to start? This handy guide will help you create your very first microlearning or full-length course in three easy steps. Let’s get started!

1. Choose the type of learning experience you want to create: microlearning or a full-length course 

Start by choosing whether you want microlearning or a full-length course. Your choice will depend on the content you want to share with learners. 

• Microlearning courses aren’t just short courses. They’re bite-size pieces of content focused on a single learning objective. They’re approachable, bingeable, and easy for users to review and apply. Microlearning courses are also great for learners on the go because they’re easy to consume on phones or tablets.
• Full-length courses give you the opportunity to go in-depth on a certain topic. Made up of multiple lessons and knowledge checks, courses may include multiple learning objectives and, as a result, take longer for the learner to experience. Learners almost always use a computer to access full-length courses.   

So how do you know which format to use for your course? When choosing between the two, ask yourself: How many learning objectives do I have? If you only have one, a microlearning course is the clear option. If you have more than one, could each one stand alone or are they interdependent? If they could be split up, you could create a series of microlearning courses. If they’re interdependent, then a full-length course is the best option.

Once you’ve made your decision, go to your Rise 360 dashboard. Click Create New and choose Course or Microlearning.

2. Search for a template or start from scratch

It's always a good idea to look at templates and see if there’s already material you can use or adapt to your learning objectives.

Articulate offers two types of templates: placeholder and real content:

• Placeholder templates include guidance and ideas to help you create a fully customized course. 
• Real content templates have pre-written content you can adapt to fit your learning objectives. 

After choosing the type of e-learning you’d like to develop, you’ll see all available templates. Select Preview to explore a template before you choose it. You can use the search bar to find templates by keyword. And for full-length courses, you can use the left-hand panel to explore templates by category. When you’re ready to use a template, click Select This Course.

If you don’t find exactly what you need, don’t worry: You can always customize a template or even start from scratch. Just click +Blank Course/Microlearning to begin.

3. Add your content

Once you’ve chosen a template or started from scratch, you can add in your content using blocks.  

Blocks give you different ways of formatting your content in a lesson or microlesson. There are many types of blocks: text blocks, image blocks, interactive blocks, knowledge check blocks, and more. You can use different block types to make your content unique and engaging.

Clicking All Blocks or the + sign in your lesson or microlesson will open a list of block types in a left-hand panel. If you change your mind about the type of block, you can easily choose a different block from the same category by clicking the dropdown menu in the top-left corner of the block. For example, the paragraph block gives you the option of reformatting your content into different types of paragraphs, headings, statements, and a note.

Not sure how to pick the right block? Think about what your learner needs. For example, if you have a lot of content that may be overwhelming as a text block, consider using a tabs block to break up the text. Or, if you want learners to compare and contrast different chunks of information, consider using an accordion or flashcard block.

As the course author, this is your opportunity to get creative! Here are some articles for inspiration: 

• 6 Rise 360 Blocks to Use Instead of Bullet Points
• 7 Creative Ways to Use Images in Rise 360 Courses
• 6 Rise 360 Block Types to Use to Compare and Contrast Concepts
• 5 Different Ways to Create Scenarios in Rise 360
• 3 Creative Ways to Incorporate Your Logo into a Rise 360 Course

More Resources 

Creating microlearning or full-length courses in Rise 360 is superfast and easy. In just three steps, you’ve already started putting together an elegant course customized for your learners.

And when you’re done drafting your course, you can share and review your content with stakeholders easily thanks to Review 360. Here’s more information on how to use Review 360:

• Getting Started with Review 360
• Rise 360: Publish Content to Review 360
• Your Most Asked Review 360 Questions

Once they’ve been approved, you can easily publish from your Articulate 360 dashboard. Here are some guides to get you started:

• Rise 360: Share Content with Learners
• How to Share E-Learning Courses with Learners

Want to try creating your first course in Rise 360, but don’t have Articulate 360? Start a free 30-day trial. And subscribe to our newsletter to stay up-to-date on the latest e-learning examples.