Approximating interaction timing
Dec 13, 2022
Hey folks! I am working on a microlearning on Rise that involves a multi-step process that follows a case study and models a specific thinking process for teachers.
We aim to have the microlearning not take more than 10 minutes to complete, and personally I'm a little worried that the most obvious choice (the process block) may overburden the learner and have a lot of clicking through to do (six steps) plus reading the content.
That said, I would like to put it to you all: how much time do you estimate a particular interactive to take given, let's say 250 words total for all six steps, plus images to help represent the actions? Would putting it into, say, a labeled graphic be better? Tabs? Graphic animation?
Thanks!
6 Replies
Hi Andrew! What an interesting project! It sounds like you know your audience pretty well, and if your gut is telling you to go a different direction, then it's probably the thing to do. 🙂 And the great thing about Rise 360 is that you can use the block types in so many different ways. Since it sounds like you're trying to make it easy to navigate and view content, I thought I'd share this example by Jackie Van Nice with you. The first lesson uses the Timeline block, but instead of it being a timeline, it showcases steps with images. That's just one idea! But perhaps the community might have other helpful examples or ideas to share!
Thanks for the response, Sarah! That was an interesting way of thinking of it! I'll have to keep playing around, but I really like the example.
Sarah, in your experience -- how do you estimate the length of time a particular interaction takes? There's probably no wrong answer, but would love your thoughts.
Oh, interesting question, Andrew! Estimating how long it takes someone to go through an interaction is hard because each person goes at their own pace and processes information differently. But if I had to do a rough estimate (and since you know the word count), using a tool like this script timer can be useful. It estimates the length of finished audio, but I also think this can work for estimating going through e-learning text since some people read out loud or use a screen reader. You can even change the settings on that tool to slow delivery to help determine the longest it would take. But since you’re also including imagery in your course, you’ll probably want to add extra time for someone to view those as well. I hope that helps!
Yes it does, thank you! It's always challenging, isn't it? Especially if this is a microlearning!
I guess here's an extra question: how much interaction do you like to put in microlearning? Or maybe expect to put? Especially if the purpose of the microlearning is to practice a skill.
Also putting this out into the ether: An extra question: how much interaction do you like to put in microlearning? Or maybe expect to put? Especially if the purpose of the microlearning is to practice a skill.
Hey Andrew! Sorry for the late response! Great question though...that I will also have to say, it depends. 😊 When it comes to designing interactions, it really depends on the audience (skills and prior knowledge) and your objectives (what you want them to accomplish). From there, that determines what content to include and how I present it. Since you’re looking to teach a skill, I really like this quick upselling course. It briefly covers the techniques and allows learners to practice. I hope that sparks some new ideas!