Forum Discussion
Using Rise to create a technical, step-by-step user guide
I am wondering if anyone has used Rise to create a more technical, step-by-step user guide/user manual for a system/software. I have seen some examples of software training or product info orientati...
I am currently working on something like that.
I use Rise as a "container", because it makes is easy to update things and implement different types of content (text, video). But it is too limited to create a software-training. Nobody learns a software by reading a book or reading text-blocks of a Rise-course. Software training should be learning-by-doing, fullfilling certain tasks and gather both knowledge as well as tangible skills.
So, I also use a lot of video (mainly screencasts, but also some explainer type videos), as well as Storyline-blocks for interactive software simulations. Best of both worlds.
Hi Stefan,
Curious about how you are developing this! We create software training and were trying to create a guide that has a combination of steps and quick videos. Not sure if you could share an example of how you are developing this guide.
Hi Erika,
While waiting for a response from Stefan, you can check out the available Rise 360 templates here to see if any of them can help you get started with the course that you are building:
I also wanted to leave this reference on sending Rise 360 courses to other authors in case someone from the community comes across this post and is willing to share examples with you.
Hi Erika,
I am afraid I can't share an example in public.
In my experience it is all about keeping it simple.
If you look at how classroom software-training works, it is a prototype scenario of Watch-Try-Do: a teacher/ trainer shows how something is done within the software (WATCH), students are trying to accomplish similar task (TRY) -if they struggle the teacher/ trainer gives hints and finally they are working with the software on their own (DO).
With an e-learning course those principles stay the same:
- Watch: Show how things are done in a screencast
- Try: try to do something similar in a simulation
- Do: work with the real software (this is not a part of the e-learning anymore.
I use Rise as a container for all elements.
As I do not like the screencasts you can create with Storyline, I use Camtasia instead.
I do use Storyline for simulations, but I am creating them from blank (for the same reason: I absolutely do not like Storyline screen recordings). I use screenshots, transparent objects, various objects like sliders or dragable elements to mock the UI of the software.
Finally it is all about planing: keep lessons short, make sure it is a usefull path, introduce features one after another and - considering simulations: only create one, if it helps to understand a task and always a quick mockup in storyline first to see if it is feasible at all.
