eLearning n00b needs help :)

Hi Fred,

1)

Aside from Articulate's blog, they also have a series of eBooks for the beginning eLearning designer. This can be a great way to started making your own content.

Articulate also has their weekly eLearning Challenge where you can get practice building interactions and seeing how other people face common challenges. You can learn a lot from doing these challenges every week, and in the process you build examples of your work you can show off.

Following eLearning blogs from other people in the community is another great way to start getting familiar with the jargon and concepts. A couple of my favorites are Ashley Chaisson's Blog and the gaming in training blog but many other users have their own blogs that can be really good resources to learn about this type of work.

Beyond eLearning specifically it can be very helpful to learn about general education principles as well. Learning about the A.D.D.I.E model, the natural human learning process, Bloom's Taxonomy, and specific rules for training adults can be a huge help when trying to figure out how to structure a course. There is lots of information about these educational principles out on the web.

2)

I don't see a problem with beginning a course with the learner answering a question, depending of how its done it may actually add a level of engagement to your training by including that interactive element.

Re #2 - using questions at the start of the topic:
Is there a guide or are there rules on how this should be done?

Fred, It's all about what you want to accomplish....

If you want to let them "test out" of some/all of the course, then tie the questions directly to the content pieces and have multiple questions.

If you want to get their attention/dispel their myth that do not need training, and are going to take them through the content no matter what, then have just one or two TOUGH questions. You want to be sure to knock anyone but a true best-in-class expert down a peg.  This can be done with a really difficult and nuanced situational based question.

We've used both methods before to great effect. Specifically, the latter method when having to mandatory training that everyone believes they should be immune from.

Thanks Bob!

I have read that adults prefer to learn through experience and questions is one way to elicit what they have experienced. Does this hold true in most cases?

And that being the case, will questions at the start of the presentation adversely affect they're learning experience? Assuming these questions are not on an expert level, just something that will tickle their brains.

Yes... most people, adults and younger folks, prefer to learn things in a way that they can relate to real-life applications and experiences.  Ask any elementary school math teacher why they have fake cash registers/money to teach place value and how they tie the lessons to things like allowance, saving for a new toy, etc.  We "adults" are not so special really.   :-)

And no, challenge questions do not negatively impact the learning. As pointed out above, they can actually enhance the engagement level of folks in many situations.  But like all things that ID deal with, you have to ask yourself what the goal is and then decide on the best approaches.

All great comments here.  Think about Measurable Learning Objectives, not nice to haves. 

The User will be able to adjust the dial with 95% accuracy control the...

Starting with a question to me is a good hook, however as long as measurable learning objectives are met checked through assessment, that's more about engagement. 

Well I read about adult learning, and it said something like questions are good to stimulate learning because it's interactive and encourages analysis. Another reason why I want to use a question at the start of the course is so I can draw out what they have previously learned (although I assume this is more effective if it's done face-to-face).

Am I looking at it correctly?

Thanks Ryan! I'll need to read up on that before I can ask any questions. lol