Creating a Working Budget in Articulate
Apr 10, 2013
My team and I are working on a Basic Budgeting eLearning Workshop for Service members transitioning from active duty. As we educate learners on each aspect of budgeting, we would like to add a practical application. For example, we will discuss using take-home income for budgeting and then ask them to enter their take home income. Then we will discuss living expenses and ask them to input their living expenses. At the end of the course, I would love for participants to be able to print a draft budget!! I know I can create a pdf or excel sheet and upload it resources, however is their any way to do it in Articulate????
Thanks,
Alicia
4 Replies
Alicia,
The creation of the budget, etc. can be done with number variables and such. (see attached).
The catch is the printing. But there are some solutions to that: http://community.articulate.com/forums/p/12946/95098.aspx
Hi Alicia and Mike,
As an educator who has worked with Adult Learners for many years, I have a pedagogical question about this approach. Since the "takeaway" would be for transitioning service members to ultimately set up their own budgets, or at least understand the ins and outs of this, wouldn't it be better to teach this with an application that would give them the skills and tools they'd be more likely to use in the end? So, for example, Excel.
I understand that not everyone in the world owns Excel (although I'm not sure Microsoft would agree
), but even if they can't or choose not to purchase it themselves, they'd be learning about formulas, relative and absolute references, and that sort of thing.
I LOVE Storyline, so I hope this isn't taken as a slam. I just think if I were teaching this course, and I wanted practical application in the end, Storyline wouldn't be the way I would go. But, maybe it should be. So, thoughts from y'all or others?
The goal for this eLearning is for service members to learn the very basics of budgeting. My thoughts are that as they learn about the basics (ie Income, Expenses, Debt) and input simple data in small steps it does not seem overwhelming. I have found in seated courses that my students completely "glaze over" when I sit them in front of a complex Excel sheet. (yes, one actually starting crying: { Then at the end of the course we can say "Surprise, you created a budget! See how easy it is!" We do have a Marine Corp Budget Excel sheet but that is just one way to create a working budget. I stress to students that there are many ways to track spending and create a budget (Excel, mint.com, online banking). Personally, I still pull out the "low tech" notebook and calculator: )
In this case, we are using eLearning because we have A LOT of content required by law to cover in one week. Having a couple of topics via eLearning makes it possible: )
Alicia
Hi Alicia,
Love the notebook and calculator - that is, the PHYSCIAL notebook and calculator
I'm glad Storyline will work for you. Just to clarify, I certainly wasn't referring to a complex spreadsheet. In one workshop I facilitate for job seekers needing to upgrade their skills, I use a spreadsheet with a total of 9 cells with information. TOnly two of the cells have numbers in them...intentionally. .Learners learn to use the AutoSum feature, among a couple other very very small steps, just with this very tiny spreadsheet.
I also am all for eLearning...wasn't suggesting not to use it.
I'm not surprised to hear that someone was stressed enough to start crying. Adult Learners, especially if they haven't been in the classroom for a while, or had bad experiences when they WERE last in a classroom, can be extremely stressed coming into class.
Anyway, this could be a whole topic of its own, couldn't it? Tx for replying and good luck.
This discussion is closed. You can start a new discussion or contact Articulate Support.