Interactive Screenshots for Online Training #26

E-Learning Challenge #26

To everyone who shared a demo, template, or idea in one or more of the challenges, I want to say a huge heartfelt “thank you.” The amount of creativity and generosity in this community is truly amazing.

At the two-day workshop Tom and I did this week in Phoenix, I was reminded that a lot of you create online training around documents, charts, and, of course, software systems. After talking with some of the folks who attended, I realized we should do more around this important category of e-learning.

In a recent challenge, we looked at screencasting and software simulations, which are the two most common methods for technical training. But sometimes a screencast or simulation is overkill for orienting your learners with an application’s UI or features.

That’s where interactive screenshots come in. They’re easy to build, and let learners quickly drill down into the details for a particular menu or panel. In my opinion, they’re a must for your e-learning toolkit.

Challenge of the week

This week, your challenge is to create an interactive screenshot for an application’s UI or specific features.

Here are a few things to consider when planning your projects:

• How much of the application will you show? How much do you need to show?
• How will learners pull the information? Hover? Click? Drag?
• How can you work additional resources, videos, or practice opportunities into the detailed views?
• How will learners return to the original screenshot?

Tools

You can use Articulate Storyline, Studio, or PowerPoint to build your demos.

Resources

• Interactive Screenshots in Articulate Storyline
• Download an interactive screenshot template
• 9 Ways to Build Your Next Online Software Training

Sharing your projects

You can share your files in the comments section below, the E-Learning Heroes forums, or on your personal blog. If you post on your own blog, include a link in the comments section below.

I really like how Gem Henderson and Jackie Van Nice write a short post for each of their demos.

The posts give us some insights into their design process. Anyway, if you’re thinking of blogging but not sure what to write about, the challenges are a great place to start.

Here’s wishing you an screentastic week, E-Learning Heroes!

Note:

The weekly challenges are ongoing opportunities to learn, share, and build your e-learning portfolios. You can jump into any or all of the previous challenges anytime you want. We’ll feature your work and provide feedback if you request it.