If you’ve ever recorded a software simulation for soft skills or systems training courses, you know there’s a lot to consider. If you want a polished result, you can’t just launch your screen...
Published 9 years ago
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Follow This Process to Create Software Simulations and Systems Training Like a Pro
I recently also discovered the value of recording the SMEs. I will definitely do it again.
I recently had 2 SMEs tag team for 3 hours showing me over 25+ tasks/maneuvers on a software they needed to test their trainees on. I used Camtasia in 10-minute spurts to gather this session. My brain was swimming by the end. I kept nodding as though I understood everything they were telling me. (Yeah right!)
Over the past two months I've milked that footage into a suite of brief "See it" and "Try it" modules. I've watched and re-watched the raw material to understand it and think through a succinct path. So many good comments they made along the way that I would have had no capacity to remember or write down fast enough.
Then, as an instructional designer, I was able to distill it into a clean product for the learner.
I recently had 2 SMEs tag team for 3 hours showing me over 25+ tasks/maneuvers on a software they needed to test their trainees on. I used Camtasia in 10-minute spurts to gather this session. My brain was swimming by the end. I kept nodding as though I understood everything they were telling me. (Yeah right!)
Over the past two months I've milked that footage into a suite of brief "See it" and "Try it" modules. I've watched and re-watched the raw material to understand it and think through a succinct path. So many good comments they made along the way that I would have had no capacity to remember or write down fast enough.
Then, as an instructional designer, I was able to distill it into a clean product for the learner.
- Hi Nicholas! Thanks for the comment -- I've been in exactly the same situation where at the end of a long meeting I don't even comprehend what the SME is saying anymore but I just keep nodding and smiling and acting like I do, knowing the recorded footage will save me later! haha
