How Do You Approach a Needs Analysis?
Before diving into building a course or training, figuring out what people actually need to learn is such a key step—but everyone approaches it a little differently. I'd love to hear from you! 💬 👉🏼 What does your needs analysis process look like? 👉🏼 Do you follow a standard method or use any go-to resources? 👉🏼 Have any examples you're willing to share? I'm gathering insights for an upcoming community program 🎉 , so real-world examples and tips from this awesome community would be incredibly helpful! 🙌🏼 Can't wait to see how you approach it!Reimagining Course Intros with 3D Motion
There’s more than one way to begin an eLearning course; and sometimes, sometimes the best way isn’t with text content, but with atmosphere. I’ve always been inspired by how airline safety videos set the tone before a flight begins. They take a routine moment and turn it into something memorable through motion, storytelling, and design. In this short navigation intro, I demo how to bring that same prelaunch energy into your course. With 3D motion and audio cues, you can instantly draw your learners in, before a single concept is even introduced. See it in action here: https://www.redesignedminds.com/Audio/story.html I designed this to spark engagement, proof that learning experience design gets fun when you experiment with 3D, soundscapes, animation, and visual storytelling. Here’s a quick tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62MRlM1iz0MDesigning Immersive Phone Conversations in Storyline
Ever have two characters talk in a training module, but it still feels flat; even with speech bubbles, audio, and triggers? This (FREE) Storyline phone conversation template changes that. Whether you're designing for sales, compliance, healthcare, or support, it creates real, layered convos that feel like you're eavesdropping on a call. Animated phone effects Realistic voiceover dialogue Transparent APNG waveforms (way better than GIFs!) Custom triggers for pick-up/end call Clean, modern layout with animated text Watch how it works: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMpUcYJRNnE Preview the demo: https://www.redesignedminds.com/Discuss/story.html Download it free (attached below) If your training includes a conversation, this is how you bring it to life.Translation vs Localization
One question that I see come up a lot when talking about localization is how is translation different from localization? 🤔 We have a couple of really helpful documents that go into this, my coworker KathrynGiroux-c wrote about this recently in this blog post, and then we also have an article that goes into some things to consider when trying to decide if you should translate or fully localize your course. For those of you currently working with translations and/or localization, I’m curious, are you mostly dealing with just translating text or are you fully localizing your courses? And if you're new to this topic, what questions do you have about localization? Please your thoughts in the comments and then join us in our new Localization group for more discussions like this one!Brainstorm Help Needed
I am currently building an Introduction to Recruitment training course in Rise (with Storyline elements). I would like to do an activity of reviewing a job description and then review 2-3 resumes and have the learner determine who the best fit is. I'm struggling with how to structure this in a way that the information is always available as they may need to flip back and forth to compare the job requirements and the resumes. Any creative suggestions? I have thought of doing something in Storyline with the job description and resumes all being layers or lightboxes, but then run into what it looks like once I need to add questions and knowledge checks. Any ideas are welcome!What does engagement mean to you...?
Our chief learning officer is tasking us to make our compliance courses to be more engaging. I find this word to be ambiguous and, as I am not opposed to making the courses engaging, what are some of the things you do to help engage the learner? Some of the things that I am doing is to include what I call "thinking slides". I will ask a question or pose a scenario that has the learner make a choice. If they make the wrong choice, there is a layer or some other feature that informs the learner of what the more positive outcome would be. If they are correct, I try to give them praise for their progress. I also try to use images and videos to break up the constant text heavy information. I will use short bullets with extended explanation with TTS narration. I am actually getting push back because the neural TTS voices aren't good enough and sound artificial. After using and hearing the old TTS voices, I think the neural voices sound pretty good and does an excellent job of conveying information. So, are there other things that you do to engage your learners? I would appreciate hearing your comments! Thanks, Lance.Live Workshop After Students Complete Online Course
Hi there! We have an hourlong live class that meets every week. Before class, the students are supposed to complete the corresponding module before attending class. It's very much set up like a college class. But up until now, the live workshop has just been repeating the content they just learned. What should I do instead to make it more of a discussion and not a lecture?Alt Text for System Screenshots
I got into a discussion today with someone developing a training manual/users guide for our program, about appropriate alt-text for a screenshot of a system. Let's say you have a brand new program, and you have to get everyone up to speed on its functionality. You have a step by step guide of how to do the XYZ task. And you throw in some screenshots to help callout buttons to give the viewer an idea of what they will be looking at. But, what kind of alt-text do you put for that image? I follow the rule of "what do you want the learner to see" in the image. If your tasks are highlighting the tabs on the screen, then maybe my alt-text is "Main page, with the following tabs available - one, two, three, four". For me, its providing enough context so that the screen reader user "sees" what a sighted learner sees. If its an eLearning course, sometimes I will have a hidden text box to provide more information or context. I'm curious how others have handled writing alt-text for progam screenshots. Please share!eLearning Meetup in Victoria, BC
Join Us for a Victoria eLearning Meetup! Calling all eLearning developers, instructional designers, and digital learning professionals in and around Victoria, BC! My colleagues and I are excited to host a casual afternoon of networking, idea-sharing, and friendly conversation. Whether you specialize in course development, learning technologies, or instructional strategy, this is a great opportunity to connect, exchange insights, and discuss industry trends. We’ll provide a comfortable space with a conference room, display, free Wi-Fi, and of course—coffee, tea, and snacks! If there’s a specific topic you’d like to explore, let us know when you RSVP. 📅 April 10, 2025 📍 401 Garbally Rd. ⏰ 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM 🔗 RSVP here!
