Hello Community! I have been tasked with creating courses around the cleaning products we offer at our company, which is about a gazillon! I have the graphics for the products and the descriptions/application, but I'm blocked as to how to get it started... the products would ideally be grouped by function, such as products for Floors, Glass, Carpet & Upholstery, Disinfectants, etc. in separate modules.
A long time ago, 3M Learning produced a series of interactive CD-ROMs for PBS' "Newton's Apple" program, titled "What's The Secret?" Once of the interactive exercises was titled "Why Does Glue Stick?" The goal was to, using the correct type of glue, attach objects to each other to the point you had a "bridge" from one side of the screen to the other. A helpful elephant would test your glue choices and either wait for the next object to appear for you to glue, or fall (fortunately not to its death). It was a great way to learn how different adhesives interacted with different materials, in a fun, non-destructive environment.
Maybe you could do something similar, by presenting the learner with different surfaces and different types of stains, and then letting the learner pick the cleaning product to see if it cleans (with accurate, and possibly whimsical, results).
How about this: check into the demographics of your customer base. Then, using a character that parallels a major customer demographic, have him/her go through a brief scenario in which your product(s) are used. Sort of like "A Day in the Life Of" but much shorter. (Short attention spans, these days!). You might create 2, 3, 4, or more short scenarios using the same character or different characters. Learners/customers could then click on one or more of the scenarios to see how the products are used. As each brief scenario unfolds, you have the opportunity along the way to describe features of the product and/or how to use it, and so on.
This design should be easy to "pitch" to management, and if approved you can even pull in interested parties to help you script out the scenarios. My experience has shown that actively involved stakeholders can be your biggest advocates and cheerleaders.
3 Replies
A long time ago, 3M Learning produced a series of interactive CD-ROMs for PBS' "Newton's Apple" program, titled "What's The Secret?" Once of the interactive exercises was titled "Why Does Glue Stick?" The goal was to, using the correct type of glue, attach objects to each other to the point you had a "bridge" from one side of the screen to the other. A helpful elephant would test your glue choices and either wait for the next object to appear for you to glue, or fall (fortunately not to its death). It was a great way to learn how different adhesives interacted with different materials, in a fun, non-destructive environment.
Maybe you could do something similar, by presenting the learner with different surfaces and different types of stains, and then letting the learner pick the cleaning product to see if it cleans (with accurate, and possibly whimsical, results).
Thank you for the suggestion
How about this: check into the demographics of your customer base. Then, using a character that parallels a major customer demographic, have him/her go through a brief scenario in which your product(s) are used. Sort of like "A Day in the Life Of" but much shorter. (Short attention spans, these days!). You might create 2, 3, 4, or more short scenarios using the same character or different characters. Learners/customers could then click on one or more of the scenarios to see how the products are used. As each brief scenario unfolds, you have the opportunity along the way to describe features of the product and/or how to use it, and so on.
This design should be easy to "pitch" to management, and if approved you can even pull in interested parties to help you script out the scenarios. My experience has shown that actively involved stakeholders can be your biggest advocates and cheerleaders.