LMS build - best practice

Aug 14, 2013

Hi LMS Pros,

I'm in the early stages of scoping an LMS build for a traditional training organisation. We are building a simple module that will take the user through sequential pathway over the duration of 1 hour where they become 'certified'. I have some questions regarding best practices so please call out if you have any tips, resources or suggestions!

What are the best methods to test retention of knowledge

Are there preferred/standard methods to segment the module? e.g. 5 questions, next page. or 5 questions.

Are there any must do's / don'ts or guidelines for usability you can point me to?

How often would you suggest we diversify the learning mediums (e.g. reading, writing, video, quiz, repeat). Should this be a set path so the user becomes familiar with the workflow?

Thanks in advance,

Luke.

2 Replies
Nicole Legault

Hey Luke!

Welcome to the community and thank you for posting! I'll attempt to answer all of your questions to the best of my knowledge and experience =)

#1 The best methods to test retention of knowledge would really depend on what the specific content is that you're training on. If training on facts, data, and specific information, then multiple choice and True/False questions might work well. If it's customer service or sales based training, some type of scenario-based multiple choice questions might work best. This one really depends on the type of content. Can you share any details about what your course is about? Generally in e-learning, people tend to use basic quiz question types like multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, drag and drop, etc. So that might be a good starting point to test retention of knowledge. 

#2 There isn't a specific or defined method to segment your courses, but some general guidelines would be to chunk it into small "digestable" pieces. An introduction, Lesson1, Review, Exercise, (repeat for all Lessons) Summary, Final Review, Final Exercise. Keep your content chunks short, keep them focused on one topic, and remove the "nice to know" and keep only the "need to know". Here's an interesting past forum discussion on some good basic guidelines for chunking e-learning: http://community.articulate.com/forums/p/5962/32641.aspx

#3 I'd recommend you check out Tom's blog and follow a lot of his advice there for creating rapid e-learning.... The Rapid ELearning Blog. Additionally, by searching the web I think you'll find a lot of good tips, guidelines and best practices for applying the basic principles of usability for web design, which almost all translate over to e-learning design as well.

#4 Again, types and amount of interactivity can depend on the type of content you're presenting. However, it is a good idea to use a variety of methods to present content to make sure you appeal to different types of learners and keep it interesting and engaging. Here's a tutorial on adding interactivity in Storyline that may help you get some ideas: Inserting and Customizing Interactivity.

Hope this helps as a starting point for you... let me know if you have any additional questions or follow-ups... Maybe some other community members will contribute with their own experiences as well. =) Good luck!!

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