What happened at Bluff Creek?
Hello! This week, I used Rise's new Custom Block to add extra layers to this microlearning mystery. Can you solve the mystery of what happened at Bluff Creek? As this Beta feature is not yet fully accessible, I needed to hardcode the captions into the videos I used in the Custom Blocks. Otherwise, it was very easy to angle the videos and combine them with shapes, images, and text, to create 'interactive collages' in the Custom Block. Bonus feature I've used Fire Mods from Discover eLearning to add a custom reflection block to the course. (ChrisHodgson is a genius!) This allows you to jot down your hunch during the investigation, and then refer back to your notes before the final reveal. Just like Columbo would. The voice of 'Annie' is 'River' from Storyline 360's AI Text-to-Speech. I exported the audio files and added the tinny tape recorder effect in Audacity. The audiovisual elements were made using CCO footage from Unsplash, with a dash of Synthesia, edited in Camtasia. Then I mixed it all together in Rise and... voila! One half-baked mystery. Can you piece together the events of Tuesday, 13th July, 1976? CLICK HERE
New Advisor Onboarding
Our team is using Articulate to build out new advisor onboarding for our entire campus. Custom Blocks was released shortly before we launched so, naturally, I dove in head first and gave all of our training modules a makeover. I've included screenshots of some of the assets we've used below, and have a review link to one of our training modules linked at the bottom of this post. Each week in our training has a different theme color, based on our University brand colors, that gives each week a really unique feel but with consistent and familiar assets across the entire training. Important tips/suggestions now use this Core Concepts custom block with some design adjustments to match our style: Comparing and contrasting various features and processes is so much more visually appealing now than when we were using simple tables before: 1. 2. The custom blocks have really opened up a whole new world for me as I think about how we share content visually. I like to start with one of the templates from Articulate and then see where my imagination takes me. Check out the way I formatted degree requirements: One of my absolute favorite design features in custom blocks are the ombre color effects. It is visually stunning (in all of the theme colors we have utilized), adds interest to the content, and naturally leads a learner through the content. Here are a few examples from our courses: 1. 2. 3. 4. I had a great time utilizing the conversation bubbles to share some example questions and answers from advisors. I also uploaded some images and played around with sizing for this cusom block - I have to say, this one is my absolute favorite thing I have created so far: If you made it all the way here - thank you and I'm so excited to share all of this with you! For a deeper look at how this looks in our courses, check out our course for Week 4: Advising Technology & Tools6 Free Resources To Jump-Start Learning About Disabilities in Your Org
According to the World Health Organization, 16% of the global population lives with a significant disability today—and that number is growing. This means that you’re likely to work with people who have disabilities, if not experience a disability yourself. Learning and development professionals have the chance to offer training that unifies teams around the subject of disability—and if you haven’t started these discussions already, Disability Pride Month marks a great time to begin. New and updated microlearning courses and templates can give you a head start on developing nuanced, inclusive learning opportunities. Keep reading to explore what’s available and how you can customize it for your teams. How To Request Disability Accommodations at Work (Microlearning Course) Live Preview of Disability Accommodations Template Asking for help can be overwhelming. Give employees the tools they need to get the conversation started with managers by providing them with this helpful microlearning course that covers their rights and reviews common reasonable accommodations. Invisible Disabilities in the Workplace: Kentay’s Story (Microlearning Course) Live Preview of Invisible Disabilities Template Guide learners through realistic workplace conflicts around disability with this story-driven microlearning centered around Kentay, who’s considering disclosing his invisible disability to his boss after a few mistakes at work. A Quick Guide To Talking About Disabilities (Microlearning Course) Live Preview of Talking About Disabilities Template Teach learners how to keep their workplace discussions about disability respectful and walk them through the answers to some common questions like: What defines a disability? What makes a disability “visible” or “invisible”? How do you talk about someone else’s disability? How To Identify and Stop Using Ableist Language (Microlearning Course) Live Preview of Ableist Language Template Even well-intentioned people can fall prey to ableism if they don’t consider the impact of their words. Use this microlearning to help learners improve their ability to identify and avoid ableist language. ADA Compliance for Employees and Managers (Placeholder Templates) Live Preview of ADA Compliance for Employees Template Live Preview of ADA Compliance for Managers Template The Americans with Disabilities Act outlines rules and regulations concerning the treatment of workers with disabilities. Compliance with the ADA is legally required and helps organizations ensure their policies are inclusive. Employees must understand ADA compliance–and that’s where these templates can help. You can use them to give your teams an overview of what the ADA says and outline your organization’s approach to ADA compliance. One template can help you develop a course for all employees, and the other includes specific information for managers. In both, customizable sections give you a chance to share specific, personal examples of how your organization supports people of all abilities. Wrap-Up A healthy, productive workplace requires teams to understand how to approach the topic of disability with respect and compassion. These easy-to-use prebuilt templates provide an ideal starting point. Sharing these microlearning courses and templates with your team is easy. Just go to your Rise 360 dashboard, click the Create New button, select Course or Microlearning, and search for the desired template. And if you’re looking for more soft skills training for your teams, you can find that in your Rise 360 dashboard as well. Here are some topics to get you started: Health and Wellness, including mental health in the workplace and dealing with difficult emotions or life events. Communication, including writing well, verbal communication, and communicating with empathy. Organizational Culture, including strategies for inclusive communication. Want to use and customize these templates, but don’t have Rise 360? Start a free 30-day trial. And subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest templates, product updates, e-learning examples, and expert advice sent directly to your inbox. If you have questions, please share them in the comments.
