I am currently building a course and was looking for a cool way to familiarize the learner with the eLearning navigation (buttons, notes, glossary, etc.).
Maybe one of you can point me into the right direction and sow some examples. Unfortunately I was not able to find anything here.
Also, what do you think about those navigation pages...are they really still needed?
thank you for the quick replies. As Matthew picked up, I am looking for an example that explains the navigation and the functionality of the course.
Like a slide that explains all the buttons, the various sections in the navigation panel and so on (e.g. "if you click here you will find the speaker's notes in written form...")
What you say, Matthew, makes perfect sense; to keep it kind of optional.
Is there also a good example of a course somewhere here or elsewhere online?
The simplest and least intrusive way I've found to include a slide like this is to set it up as a lightboxed slide available right on the player, naming it something like "How to Navigate", so it can be accessed at any time.
I point it out at the beginning of the course, but don't force anyone to sit through it. I definitely prefer it to a slide you're forced to sit through. :)
I agree with Jackie don't make them sit through it if they don't need it. If you must have it, have it as an optional slide. I find that I do point out the resources button as it is not as obvious and often has the procedure/code that the course is based on.
From an UI perspective if you have to explain the navigation then maybe it should be re-examined to be more clear.
I agree with Cary that if navigation isn't intuitive you should probably rethink it.
I only include the nav info in the player if the client insists on it (most do) - even though anyone who has ever used a computer or is familiar with a pause/play control would be just fine.
I always say to clients..."These are the people that are going to pause the course, make a call or two, or text on their cellphone, then heat up a meal in the microwave and do a bit of photocopying before resuming the course. Do you REALLY think you need to explain the main Navigation?" At that point the requirement usually gets dropped.
Of course, you MAY need to explain some specific navigation within the course, but overall - becoming less of a requirement IMHO.
If they cannot use a back and forward button they shouldn't be on the internet
Well, I'll agree with that sentence... :-)
but I think sometimes it is no mistake to add some additional information to the famous slide no.2 "How-to-use-this-training".
Of course it sounds strange for somebody who is working daily with elearning courses to tell him/her that they have to read these instructions very carefully.
But imagine somebody who is not very experienced with courses or somebody who shows no curiosity in testing the features of a course. These people get additional information that they could e.g. print the speaker notes or even that a course offers audio.
For these users it is a efficient gain if they can read that there is a glossary or that they should not fast forward the text because they could miss important information.
If they can find the course they should be able to navigate it.
Agree, If the course is designed well and follows web conventions this shouldn't be necessary most LMSs are more difficult to navigate than courses.
If they cannot use a back and forward button they shouldn't be on the internet
Why is that LMSs are so difficult to navigate? Both from the user side and the back side of uploading and managing courses? So many seem truly awful and their UI seems to have been developed in the last century. (Cue LMS vendors to jump in and say "Ours is great! Check out our LMS.)
Totally agree with all of you on this one! If it is absolutely necessary, I would add a "How to navigate" tab to my player, and then point it out in the beginning so people know it is there if they need it.
If they can find the course they should be able to navigate it.
Sorry I don't agree with this. When I was doing ILT, I had asked the class to move the mouse over to the program icon and double click on it to open it. I actually had a student place the actual mouse on the monitor screen and try to double click on it and the student couldn't even double click correctly. This student was also the manager of the rest of the class. So I keep this in mind when I develop my training and remember that small majority that may have issues.
Adding navigation is something I tend to do automatically. It isn't a lot of extra work. I usually add captions with arrows pointing to the different parts of the module like Next, Previous, seekbar, etc. If its something different and unique and may not be readily understood how it works by a majority of users, I'll do a screen capture and embed it as a video to demonstrate how it is used. For example, I recently created a course where the majority of the audience where older and probably where not used to Drag and Drops. So I created quick 10 - 20 second videos demonstrating the variety of Drag and Drops with captions showing what action was taking place. I used camtasia to create the videos.
But taking the navigation tutorial should be optional. I agree with everyone else on this part. At the beginning of the course, I place at least two buttons, one that will start the course, the other will take the user to the navigation tutorial.
I agree, navigation slides are extra space. But they're required for the courses I develop and I like to take a screenshot of a sample slide and show the navigation that way (with arrows and text captions). It puts it into context, I think.
Attached is the navigation slide I use. I use it as a lightbox with a trigger so the users can click a link to view the navigation instructions at any time. I hope it helps you!
If it needs instructions, you're not providing a clean enough user experience.
That does depend on the audience, of course, but I agree with Carry, Bruce and Phil.
Whenever I do have to use instructions, I try to make it context-sensitive. If for example there's a drag and drop slide that needs to be completed (such as the survey in this demo), I provide instructions relevant to that slide only, instead of boring the learner to sit through the tedious process of how to navigate the whole course.
I've been through demos that required you to watch everything and not only did it bore me to death, I felt like the navigation tutorial was a module in itself that I also had to memorize somehow - not the way you want to start an e-learning course.
Hi Jody, I tried to open this, but it says it's from a newer version of Storyline. I'm still on Storyline 1 (I work for the Government, things move a bit slower here). Do you have a Storyline 1 version of this example?
17 Replies
Hi Both,
thank you for the quick replies. As Matthew picked up, I am looking for an example that explains the navigation and the functionality of the course.
Like a slide that explains all the buttons, the various sections in the navigation panel and so on (e.g. "if you click here you will find the speaker's notes in written form...")
What you say, Matthew, makes perfect sense; to keep it kind of optional.
Is there also a good example of a course somewhere here or elsewhere online?
Again, many thanks and best regards,
Max
Hi Max,
The simplest and least intrusive way I've found to include a slide like this is to set it up as a lightboxed slide available right on the player, naming it something like "How to Navigate", so it can be accessed at any time.
I point it out at the beginning of the course, but don't force anyone to sit through it. I definitely prefer it to a slide you're forced to sit through. :)
I agree with Jackie don't make them sit through it if they don't need it. If you must have it, have it as an optional slide. I find that I do point out the resources button as it is not as obvious and often has the procedure/code that the course is based on.
From an UI perspective if you have to explain the navigation then maybe it should be re-examined to be more clear.
I agree with Cary that if navigation isn't intuitive you should probably rethink it.
I only include the nav info in the player if the client insists on it (most do) - even though anyone who has ever used a computer or is familiar with a pause/play control would be just fine.
If they can find the course they should be able to navigate it.
I always say to clients..."These are the people that are going to pause the course, make a call or two, or text on their cellphone, then heat up a meal in the microwave and do a bit of photocopying before resuming the course. Do you REALLY think you need to explain the main Navigation?" At that point the requirement usually gets dropped.
Of course, you MAY need to explain some specific navigation within the course, but overall - becoming less of a requirement IMHO.
Thank you so much everyone, it is kind of the thing where it is required just to have it ;). I will go with the optional lightboxed side solution.
Best, Max
Agree, If the course is designed well and follows web conventions this shouldn't be necessary most LMSs are more difficult to navigate than courses.
If they cannot use a back and forward button they shouldn't be on the internet
Well, I'll agree with that sentence... :-)
but I think sometimes it is no mistake to add some additional information to the famous slide no.2 "How-to-use-this-training".
Of course it sounds strange for somebody who is working daily with elearning courses to tell him/her that they have to read these instructions very carefully.
But imagine somebody who is not very experienced with courses or somebody who shows no curiosity in testing the features of a course. These people get additional information that they could e.g. print the speaker notes or even that a course offers audio.
For these users it is a efficient gain if they can read that there is a glossary or that they should not fast forward the text because they could miss important information.
Why is that LMSs are so difficult to navigate? Both from the user side and the back side of uploading and managing courses? So many seem truly awful and their UI seems to have been developed in the last century. (Cue LMS vendors to jump in and say "Ours is great! Check out our LMS.)
Totally agree with all of you on this one! If it is absolutely necessary, I would add a "How to navigate" tab to my player, and then point it out in the beginning so people know it is there if they need it.
Sorry I don't agree with this. When I was doing ILT, I had asked the class to move the mouse over to the program icon and double click on it to open it. I actually had a student place the actual mouse on the monitor screen and try to double click on it and the student couldn't even double click correctly. This student was also the manager of the rest of the class. So I keep this in mind when I develop my training and remember that small majority that may have issues.
Adding navigation is something I tend to do automatically. It isn't a lot of extra work. I usually add captions with arrows pointing to the different parts of the module like Next, Previous, seekbar, etc. If its something different and unique and may not be readily understood how it works by a majority of users, I'll do a screen capture and embed it as a video to demonstrate how it is used. For example, I recently created a course where the majority of the audience where older and probably where not used to Drag and Drops. So I created quick 10 - 20 second videos demonstrating the variety of Drag and Drops with captions showing what action was taking place. I used camtasia to create the videos.
But taking the navigation tutorial should be optional. I agree with everyone else on this part. At the beginning of the course, I place at least two buttons, one that will start the course, the other will take the user to the navigation tutorial.
I agree, navigation slides are extra space. But they're required for the courses I develop and I like to take a screenshot of a sample slide and show the navigation that way (with arrows and text captions). It puts it into context, I think.
Attached is the navigation slide I use. I use it as a lightbox with a trigger so the users can click a link to view the navigation instructions at any time. I hope it helps you!
If it needs instructions, you're not providing a clean enough user experience.
That does depend on the audience, of course, but I agree with Carry, Bruce and Phil.
Whenever I do have to use instructions, I try to make it context-sensitive. If for example there's a drag and drop slide that needs to be completed (such as the survey in this demo), I provide instructions relevant to that slide only, instead of boring the learner to sit through the tedious process of how to navigate the whole course.
I've been through demos that required you to watch everything and not only did it bore me to death, I felt like the navigation tutorial was a module in itself that I also had to memorize somehow - not the way you want to start an e-learning course.
Just my 2c,
Alex
Hi Jody, I tried to open this, but it says it's from a newer version of Storyline. I'm still on Storyline 1 (I work for the Government, things move a bit slower here). Do you have a Storyline 1 version of this example?
Thank you!
Just discovered this today. Thanks for the sample, Jody! Perfect.
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