Transforming Classroom Content for eLearning

Although online learning is hardly new, it's still a bit of a bandwagon issue for some organizations. Some companies feel compelled to go with online learning because it's "the thing to do." But for other organizations, it's a vital mode of learning that can supplement face-to-face-instruction or even stand in place of it.

But we're not here to debate whether or not elearning is superior to classroom learning. The fact is elearning is here to stay. The demand is growing for mobile training that's accessible anywhere, anytime. In fact, one of the most popular requests we receive is to transform classroom materials for online learning.

Before starting the process of converting materials, the big question is: what's the actual purpose of the elearning? Will it replace the classroom training, or will it supplement it? This is a very important question, because it affects the overall direction you take.

For example, the curriculum might require participants to complete a classroom portion first, with the elearning available as a refresher or as a just-in-time resource. In this case, the online course doesn't need to include every detail from the face-to-face training materials. But if the elearning is designed as a standalone experience that replaces the classroom learning, you'll need to carefully construct the course so that all the essential details are included—without overwhelming the learners.

Here some of our strategies for adapting classroom materials for a fun, engaging online learning experience:

• Organize the content in a logical manner for elearning. This doesn’t mean copying the script from the PowerPoint file onto the screen and inserting the "Next" button every now and then. Start with writing learning objectives, and organize your course so that each section maps to an objective. You don't necessarily need to reveal the objectives on screen. Consider "what's in it for me?" language to pique their interest. For example, compare these two: "At the end of this course, you should be able to create your intuitive exercise program using our four-part proprietary method." versus "How do I create a custom exercise program that's easy to follow?"

• Adapt the tone for online learning. If you're addressing a wide range of learners with various levels of experience, the elearning should be broad enough to engage them all without isolating anyone. Adjust the tone accordingly if you know your audience is primarily made up of either experts or novices.

• Create content layers. One of the great benefits of elearning is that it easily accommodates people's various learning modes. People read differently online than on paper; online, they rarely scroll down past the "fold" of the page. Unlike chapters in a book, elearning content doesn't need to be available on the same level. The essentials should be included in the main content areas of an online course. Secondary information can be discovered through rollover or clickable areas. And third-level content can be organized as PDF files in a resource library for on-demand access. Keep in mind that arranging content into layers doesn't mean you should bury it; an intuitive navigation design makes it easily accessible.

• Give learners choices for exploring content. It's fine to provide a map, but forcing learners down a one-way road with no opportunity for side trips just promotes falling asleep at the wheel. There are exceptions, however, such as when you're trying to teach a compliance process that must be followed in a particular order.

• Give learners the chance to practice what they've learned. We can't emphasize this enough. Just like with classroom training, practice doesn't just entail answering multiple-choice questions. It could be a game, a scenario, or a quest. A good online practice exercise sets up an appropriate context, gives the learners a challenge to solve, and helps connect what they've learned to real-life ways they can apply that information.

• Take advantage of the opportunity to give learners feedback on their progress. Although scripted feedback can't really replace real, live human feedback, try to make it as meaningful and relevant as possible. For example, in a branching scenario that gives learners multiple options, create custom feedback for each option they choose. In other words, don't just tell them the choice is correct or incorrect, but tell them why.

No matter what your reason is for converting classroom materials to online learning—budget, time, efficiency, or geographical constraints—working with a team that specializes in elearning development will help you create the best experience for your learners.

Curating Content Through Instructional Design

by Shannon McKenzie

Instructional design is at the heart of what we do at IdeaLearning Group, and the role is constantly growing and evolving. Gone are the days when instructional design simply meant writing some learning objectives and then putting a course together. We're most excited about the content curation possibilities for elearning design.

As Connie Malamed described in her "Learning Technology Trends to Watch in 2012" blog post, "Instructional designers are often the proponents of innovation and the persuaders who convince upper management that interaction and collaboration will make for a smarter organization." As learning and sharing become more social, curating content is an absolute necessity for instructional designers.

So what exactly does "content curation" mean in a learning context? It involves finding, organizing, and filtering content to optimize learning opportunities. In the not-too-distant past, when people needed to research something, they had to visit the actual library. Now close your eyes and think about something you'd like to research. Does an image of a paper-based card catalog pop in your mind? Be honest: it's a Google search box that you see.

The problem is that as we wade through the rising waters of the digital era, we feel swept up in a tidal wave of information. We have access to incomprehensible amounts of data, all in an instant. Shanghai Web Design created this mind-blowing graphic that attempts to describe what can happen within a single minute online. 510,000 comments are made on Facebook. 25 hours of content is uploaded to YouTube. And 168 million emails are sent, all within 60 seconds!

IDs have always focused on creating the ideal context for learning. We organize and make sense out of complex information, carving out the essentials while whittling away the unnecessary details. But the difference today is incredible accessibility of information and the potential for easy overload. We see it as a quest: Instructional designers must step up as digital cartographers and help carve out the path to clarity!

Here are some strategies we use for content curation in our learning programs:

Bundle digital resources: While we may have abandoned the card catalog system, we still love the "learning library" metaphor. Learning libraries should be stocked with essential information that's relevant to the learner. They should be easily searched, sorted, and offer the ability to download and print content on demand. (This concept even goes beyond formal online learning. Anyone can be an online content curator—see ScoopIt and Flipboard for amazing examples!)

Build custom paths of discovery: Off-the-shelf learning solutions are quickly becoming yesterday's news. By offering a self-paced flow, custom content, and a highly interactive environment, the experience of learning is more engaging and relevant for the learner's specific needs. We discussed this in more depth on our recent post about adaptive learning.

Invite sharing and collaboration: Knock down the traditional barriers! As people are becoming more social online, look for creative ways to allow learners to share their insights in (or even outside) a learning environment. Tie in blog posts and invite comments. Compile topical information and publish it as an online "magazine." Ask learners to upload their own case studies or other content. Start a twitter hashtag for your topic.

The potential for content curation in instructional design is exploding. What strategies have your learned or used?

Creating a Productive Learning Environment

"Learning is experience, everything else is just information.” – Albert Einstein

 When we learn something new, it doesn't usually happen on purpose. In fact, learning is often a result of observation, experience, or failure. Organizations can't always plan for formal learning to take place. Employees must feel motivated and free to apply the information they're exposed to in order for true learning to occur. The best way to encourage learning is to set up an environment that actually supports it.

Brain-based research tells us that pre-exposure to information, also called "priming," makes subsequent learning proceed more quickly. At IdeaLearning Group, we recommend creating an environment at work that's conducive to formal and spontaneous learning by making sure relevant information is accessible, based in a context that makes sense, and also easy to share with peers.

Ready, Set, Learn

We call this first phase of learning "Ready, Set, Learn." When learners are immersed in a productive learning environment, they:

• Are armed with techniques and resources to maximize their efforts
• Understand the scope of their commitment
• Start with the same baseline knowledge
• Have the support and involvement of their managers
• Can draw a clear line between course objectives and their professional success

According to an article published by Training magazine, "A productive learning environment must address the physical, cognitive, and emotional elements in that environment." The article goes on to recommend, "Organizations also need to consider who is involved in employee training, as interaction and support are critical and play a direct role in learning uptake." You can give people a stack of information with instructions to learn it, but they will likely never absorb the information without the appropriate context and support.

Create A Culture of Learning

On his Brain Rules website, Dr. John Medina discusses our natural inclination to learn through exploring. "Babies are the model of how we learn—not by passive reaction to the environment but by active testing through observation, hypothesis, experiment, and conclusion," he says. "Babies methodically do experiments on objects, for example, to see what they will do." So when you're building a learning program for your organization, you can't expect to force learning, but you can create a culture that encourages learners to experiment and apply information.

Try these best practices for tapping into your organization's zest for learning:

• Engage your learners immediately. Use stories, scenarios, and examples that speak directly to your organization. Learners should understand what's in it for them right away.
• Make blended methods of learning easily accessible. (Go way beyond PowerPoint.) Create a learning library, and encourage staff to explore and experiment with the material.
• Appeal to a variety of senses. Use video, online learning, and audio along with traditional printed materials. Make it easy for learners to explore and share.

On his blog, informal learning expert Jay Cross sums it up this way: "Training is something that’s imposed on you; learning is something you choose. Knowledge workers thrive when given the freedom to decide how they will do what’s asked of them." We couldn't agree more.

Tips For Using Audio in eLearning Courses

Learning is a multi-sensory experience. The more we invoke our senses, the better we absorb the content.

According to a study by the OSHA Department of Training and Education,we only retain 35% from a visual presentation and 10% from an oral one. When visuals and audio are combined, we generally retain 65% of what we learn.

Jillian Douglas recording audio for an elearning course

However, information retention isn't always the number-one priority in elearning. Sometimes elearning serves as a powerful on-demand toolbox that's there when you need it. But even if we don't expect learners to remember everything they're exposed to in an online course, the instructional design should still be engaging.

Too often, elearning is just passive presentation of information. At ILG, we follow a three-phase approach to create a more complete learning experience. Our second phase, which we call "Think, Feel, Move, ™" is designed to engage participants cognitively, emotionally, and physically.

Used appropriately, audio can help you connect with learners on an emotional level by enhancing the sensory experience. Here are some guidelines for incorporating audio into elearning:

1. Avoid repeating verbatim the words that appear on screen.
   Have you ever been part of the audience in which the presenter read everything to you from the screen? Did it make you want to scream? It's annoying. And it just creates mental overload. In her book Evidence-Based Training Methods, Ruth Colvin Clark recommends: "Use audio to explain complex visuals and avoid a combination of text and redundant narration of that text."
2. Create an authentic voice for narration.
   The course narrator should never talk down to the learner or waste anyone's time by talking too much. The voiceover artist's tone and language should reflect the learning audience's needs and expectations. After writing your script, read it out loud multiple times. Cut out unnecessary words before recording.
3. Include audio controls.
   Not all learners are in an environment where they can listen to narrated elearning, and some may be using computers without audio cards. Allow learners to pause the audio or adjust the volume as they desire.
4. Understand your learners' access limitations.
   As we mentioned above, some learners may be using computers without audio capabilities. It goes without saying that you need this information before creating the course. If you're unsure whether all learners have audio access, you may still include audio but also carefully convey the information visually so that learners will still benefit from the content.
5. Use audio effects as needed to provoke emotions or set a mood.Just as in movies, sound effects can help set the scene and tell a story in elearning courses. Don't overdo it. Use sound effects to enhance content, not as a novelty. A honking horn can signify danger in an auto safety course. In a course about training dogs, a recording of a fierce growl has, well, more bite than voiceover that says, "a growling dog makes a scary sound." And just like in life, it's also important to know when to stay silent, such as during quizzes or activities that require intense concentration.

What are your experiences with using or listening to audio in online learning?

Make eLearning More Engaging Through Gamification

There's a lot of talk about "gamification" in elearning. We know it's on the rise. But is it here to stay or just a trend of the day?

Gamification is the integration of gaming principles and interactions into non-game platforms in effort to increase engagement, solve problems, and ultimately offer rewards. According to Rick Raymer's article Gamification: Using Game Mechanics to Enhance eLearning, gaming mechanics are "rules that encourage users to explore and learn the properties of their possibility space through the use of feedback." Think achievements. Status. Levels and progression. (More on gaming mechanics here.)

A recent NPR story describes a gamified experiment in Sweden involving electronic speeding tickets. Instead of structuring the program around punishment and negativity, the so-called "speed-camera lottery" focuses on positive reinforcement. If you're recorded driving at or below the speed limit, you may win some cash. Gamification can be a powerful way to influence behavioral change.

Gamification is also gaining traction in how we stay connected and obtain our goals in our day-to-day lives. If you've ever participated in Groupon, FourSquare, 43things, or any other number of social apps or platforms, you already know something about gamification:

• Play: What's more natural than playing? It's something we seem born knowing how to do, but often lose sight of as we grow older (and more serious). Playing is a healthy way to socialize and share connections with each other.

• Progress: People love to track their own progress and compete with others. You can fancify your avatar, collect bling, become "mayor" of this or that, or move up to different levels to reach your goals through gamification.

• Motivation: Gaming mechanics are inherently effective at motivating people to achieve their goals. For example, the Nike+ GPS iPhone app gives you feedback while you're running ("You're almost there! Keep at it!") along with the option to post your progress to your facebook account.

• Achievement: Learners gain rewards such as badges, points, or titles that carry meaning for them. You might collect points to trade in for virtual or actual goods, or earn badges to display your status and gain peer recognition.

Most elearning experiences are designed to align to specific behavior modification objectives. We often incorporate characters, activities, and the opportunity to explore to make the experience fun and engaging. Therefore, it seems only natural that gamification is taking off in the elearning world.

Here are some ideas for adapting gamification principles into elearning:

• Design a clean, thoughtful UI: Learners should easily know what to do without prompts like "click next to continue" or having to figure out convoluted nav schemes.

• Ensure clear rules of play: Learners should know expected of them, including the overarching purpose of the learning experience.

• Tell a compelling story: Give learners a real reason to explore the course. Structure the experience with an intriguing challenge, climax and resolution. Include multiple characters if it makes sense for your story; they can help the narrative unfold.

• Include realistic, achievable tasks: Make sure the tasks are based in a context that makes sense for the learners.

• Provide incremental rewards: Keep learners engaged by providing rewards along the way, not just at the end of the course. Let learners customize their avatars, compare their progress against peers (if appropriate), and see how far they still need to go to complete the goals of the course.

What are your experiences with gamification in elearning? We'd love to hear your stories.