I think every time I speak/write about the learner, I mention motivation at least once. As an ID, I take motivation very seriously. It is my responsibility to ensure that the learner's motivation is high as this will ensure that he/she actually learns. We do a detailed contextual inquiry to understand our learners. Then, we brainstorm for hours before we decide on the instructional strategy that we should use.But regardless of the effort we put in, if the internal motivation is low, it is a tough situation. The learner should want to learn. I see this in my daily life whether it is working on a project, writing a blog, conducting research, working on a presentation... If the motivation is low, it shows. We may try to encourage them, push them, force them but none of this will work if their heart is not in it.What influences internal motivation? Internal motivation is influenced by one's aspirations, goals, and needs. We have to understand these to ensure that their heart is in it. If we understand this, we may be able to show the learner the relevance and arouse their curiosity. But, if they still don't want to, they will not learn. That's scary... We can only ensure that we play all our cards right and hope that the learner is inspired enough. The onus is finally with the learner. I guess this goes back to the basic principle of adult learning: What is in it for me? We can show this relevance but it is for them to see it.Please note that I am not trying to pass on the blame for courses that have not met their learning outcomes. I am only reflecting on the power of internal motivation.

Rule 1: Unless you are conducting learner testing, do not experiment with positioning of buttons. There is a logic why the next button is positioned in the right bottom corner and why the exit button is positioned in the top right corner. Understand the logic before you experiment.Rule 2: Always use radio buttons for single select MCQs and check boxes for MMCQs or multiple select questions.Rule 3: Buttons should look clickable. Non-buttons such as placeholders, text boxes, and so on should not have the affordance of being clickable.Rule 4: When selecting a font and font size, remember that readability is more important than visual appeal.Rule 5: Colors should be selected using the color wheel. Do not assume that certain colors go well with each other. Check it out.Rule 6: Ensure that there is a clear visual hierarchy. The contents of the screen need to be well-balanced.Rule 7: Ensure that all elements such as feedback boxes, text boxes, placeholders, and so on belong to the same family.Rule 8: Use grids to design your screen. Ensure alignment and proper spacing.Rule 9: Ensure easy accessibility for those features that the learner is likely to use often. For example, the next and back buttonsRule 10: Ensure that the icons and the graphics used are self-explanatory.

When surfing through channels, I paused at Disney channel (mostly because my one year old son was fascinated by the colors). Micky Mouse Club House was playing. If you have seen this show, you'd realize that the main objective of this program is to teach the children. Micky and gang did several tasks. For example: One of the characters needed a bow to go to the circus. A device named toodle is summoned. This device visually shows several tools that can be selected to carry out a particular task. Micky encourages the children to identify which tool can be used to make a bow. Ribbon is one such option. They select this and demonstrate how a bow can be made from a ribbon. There are two more tasks similar to this.The strategies used:An interesting storyline with heroes and a villainThree set of objectivesVisual multiple choice exercises (with distractors) directly linked to the objectivesSmall fun demonstrations (dance steps, how to march and so on)Visual recap toward the end of the programI think it is a very effective way to teach and entertain. What I loved about it is that it is all very visual. Catch it sometime if you can.

The analysis indicates that the author of http://archiespeaksout.blogspot.com/ is of the type:ISTJ - The Duty Fulfillers The responsible and hardworking type. They are especially attuned to the details of life and are careful about getting the facts right. Conservative by nature they are often reluctant to take any risks whatsoever. The Duty Fulfillers are happy to be let alone and to be able to work int heir own pace. They know what they have to do and how to do it.I am not sure if I agree. My blog personality for my other blog, Mum's the Word, is different. Can that be possible? Do I have a dual personality? :) Anyway, check out your blog personality at Typealyzer.

I came across this really cool and thought provoking video on siftables on the Simply Speaking blog. I just had to share it here. How interesting would it be to use this to teach?

The typical mindset regarding use of game elements in elearning is "We don't have that kind of budget!" But, are we trying to design a high end graphic game? You can use game elements in a modest budget. How you ask? Let us think about the elements that make a game and which of these can be used for an elearning application.Rewards and punishmentsGoals and sub goalsLearner controlDecision makingExperiential learningfeel good factors (encouragement, sense of achievement/victory)ChallengesStoryline/theme/dramaEnvironment/contextCharacters and their personalitiesHighly visual depiction of eventsWe had designed an elearning application for counselors in an English training institute. We designed a decision tree with branching stories. Given below is the description of how we included game elements in elearning.Rewards and punishments were displayed in terms of the reaction of the customer to a particular action taken by the learner and points gained. The reaction of customer is unpleasant for the least appropriate answer and the points gained is zero. The reaction of the customer is positive for the most appropriate answer and the points gained is maximum. The learner is given the opportunity to recover from unpleasant situation. The main goal of the course was to make a successful sale. The sub goals were successful application of the steps of the counseling process.The learner makes decisions and experiences the consequences of his/her own actions. They get an opportunity to reflect on the events.Each customer was given a distinct personality. The learner had to understand the customers' personalities and respond accordingly.Customers' personalities helped decide what their typical response to a situation would be. Therefore, the situations were also clearly defined.While using game elements in an elearning process, there are certain points that you must remember:Avoid time-based tasks unless the skill to be mastered requires the learner to complete a particular taks within a specified time. For example: A call center executive has put the customer on hold to retreive some information the syste, The executive has to ensure that he/she informs the customer about how much time it might take and retreive the relevant information within this time.Ensure that you do not have a parallel story. Invariably, the game/story aspect takes precedence over the learning. For example: Have you seen the demo on Peter Packet? This is a perfect example of this. The main aim of the game is to teach the learner about how the Internet functions. This demo begins with a story about how an Indian girl is unable to go to school. Peter has carry a packet to help the mail reach this girl in time. Peter then has to make his way through by jumping over other packets, avoiding viruses, going through a router, acquiring a key and finally completing the message. When I first played the game, I thought the main intention of the demo was to convey a social message. The information about Internet is displayed in pop up boxes that I can close if I am more involved in the game.Ensure that you tie the loose ends, especially for branching stories. You do not want your learner to get stuck during the learning program.The storyline should have sufficient information so that the learner can make an informed decision.Feedback should be designed very carefully. It must have the desired impact. If you are not displaying a 'that's correct or incorrect' message, ensure that the learner understands clearly when he/she got it right and vice versa.

At a social gathering, I explained that I work as an ID at Kern Communications. A person (Rajeev's idol cum mentor from the training fraternity) said you are more into elearning. Elearning is not that interactive, it is very forced.These words have been ringing in my head. Why did do people think elearning is not interactive and forced? Here are my guesses:Learners do not interact with other learners.Some really bad elearning courses have ruined elearning's reputation.The learner has to complete the course.(Can't think of any more. Please add if you remember more.)Now, coming to point 1. Interactivity can be cognitive, social, and clicks (motor if you wish to call it that). If the training is poorly designed, cognitive interaction is not going to happen anyway. The person (I was referring to earlier) meant that elearning lacked social interactivity (learners interacting with learners). My response was to point out how web 2.0 fills that gap. But, I was still not satisfied with my response. With eLearning, social interactivity has been always a part of the learning process in the form of informal learning.After you take the course (or even as you take the course), the learners share/exchange notes with other learners. Some courses provide access to other learners and experts via chat rooms, forums, emails, and so on.Can't do much about point 2, but pray that people start doing things right. I hope they begin to understand that click interactivity does not help people learn. Having text box or a fancy tabbed presentation is not sufficient. A click is just a click.Coming to point 3, if elearning is forced because the learner has to complete the course, so is any other form of training (especially if the learner motivation is low). Like Tony Karrer mentioned in his blog post, at least the learner can click next and finish the course. Read more on interactivity here.

Audio is a crucial aspect of an elearning application. There are lots of courses that do not have audio. These courses can still be good if the learner hates audio. But audio can play an important role in learning. Audio:Sets the tone for your course. If the audio is formal, the theme of your course will be formal. If the audio is humorous, the theme of your course is light and humorous. Adds a personal touch by giving your course a personality. This does not apply for robot-like audio.Captures learner's attention.Completes the learning experience. Reinforces learning by supplementing visuals and content. Using audio in your course can be a gamble. If you do not play your cards right, you may end up ruining your course even if the ID strategy and theme is great. You need to keep in mind the following:1. How much audio do I include in the course?This is the most important and the most difficult question. Further questions that arise:Do I have the audio artists read everything from the screen? Please don't have the audio artist read everything (especially if your screens are content heavy). It is very distracting and unnecessary. Kern conducts learner testing to check the effectiveness of a course before its roll out. We have seen learners look for audio mute/off button several times. They are thinking, I can read the content, thank you very much. We have also seen occasions on which audio is different from the OST and this troubles the learner. He/she feels that there is a variation in what is being said in the audio and what is written on screen.Do I just include the main gist of what is being covered in the screen? You can do this. However, ensure that your audio captures the most crucial information and does not sound abrupt. Sometimes, you just wait for the audio to continue but it doesn't.Do I include audio for just the important screens? Please don't do this. Imagine the learner listening to a para long audio on a screen. He moves to the next screen and meets silence. It can be very awkward. I have seen this during learner testing. You can see the learners anticipating, waiting for the audio to start. I am almost tempted to lean over and say You can move on now. Do I include separate audio for the characters? Your could do this depending on your budget. But it can be a nightmare to get the tone and the pitch right for multiple audio artists. 2. Should the audio supplement content or vice versa?Actually, it depends on the ID strategy you use for the course. If your course is highly visual, the audio will play a crucial role as it may act as a link between the screens. There are course in which the audio drones on and on, while nothing happens on the screen. This can hinder learning. The learner may switch off after sometime. Either reduce the audio, split the screens, or add animation to supplement the audio. Can you imagine staring at a screen waiting for the audio to get over? On the other hand, do not make a text heavy course, audio heavy. Like I already mentioned, it can be quite irritating for the learner. Find the right balance between audio and visuals.3. Does the audio have the desired impact? Yes! You have identified how much audio you want to use. You have also found the right balance between audio and visuals. Now, what else can go wrong?An unprofessional audio artist can ruin your course. If the tone and pitch is not right, the course will sound bad.If the audio is too fast or too slow, it could kill learner motivation.If the audio is not in sync with what is happening on screen, it will confuse the learner.If the audio is not edited well, it will ruin the course even if your audio artist is really good.4. How can audio add value?Audio in terms of background music can increase the imapct of the gain attention screen. Audio can also play a crucial role when used to indicate correct and incorrect feedback. This may be the best way to avoid 'That's correct' and 'That's incorrect' feedback. Audio plays an important role in games. It increases the thrill and increases the learner's curiosity.There is no standard rule or guideline to say you can use this much audio in your course. Use audio wisely. Ensure that it has the desired impact. Use it to aid learning and make learning experience more pleasureable.

A demotivated learner is any IDs nightmare. Don't we love it when learners are highly motivated, thirsty for knowledge, and realize the 'what is in it for me' even before the course begins?Symptoms of a demotivated learner:During interviews, they frown over the concept that you are going to teach.They do not appreciate the fact that HAVE to take the course. (I can't blame them.)They try to convince you that they know everything they need to about the concept (you know otherwise through research).They tell you that this course is not going to be useful for them as this concept will not help hone their core skill.They are against the mode of delivery (elearning, ILT, or plain training) because of bad experience in the past.The situation is very, very dangerous if you spot all the five symptoms in your learner profile. How do you tackle a demotivated learner? Find answers for the following:What can I do to ensure that the learner takes the concept seriously? How can I make it interesting for them?How can I show them that they do not know everything they need to know about the concept?How can I show them that this concept if mastered is going to help them work better?How can I change their bias against the mode of delivery?To answer all these questions, I would first recommend that you have a nice long chat with your SME. This is important because my suggestions are going to require the SME's approval.Suggestion 1: Challenge the learnerThe learner thinks he/she knows all there is to know about the concept. Well, challenge him/her then. Design a very hands on course. The intention is to make the learner perform tasks designed keeping the theories of the concepts in mind. We want the learner to realize for themselves, 'Oh! I did not know that' or 'This is probably more effective than how I have been going about it'.Suggestion 2: Do not bore them with theoryPlease do not tell the learner blah blah blah. You will lose the learner even before the end of the screen. They do not want to hear the theory. Stick to pure application. It is definitely easier to describe a theory. Try teaching a theory with absolutely no words. Use tasks and examples. This is incredibly challenging for the ID and SME. But, trust me, the experience is absolutely worth it.Suggestion 3: Ensure that your course is visualThis learner profile is not going to read anything more than two lines. Avoid content. Make it visual by displaying images/animations of examples. I avoid content heavy screens by using a bigger fonts. Try it sometime.Suggestion 4: Encourage social learningIntroduce videos from YouTube, share blog links, create or encourage learners to join discussion forums. Do all that you have to and bring them in contact with other people. Encourage them to share their ideas with peers and experts. I do not have to stress the important of social learning.Suggestion 5: Design challenging knowledge checksDesign the tasks keeping in mind the learner's reality. Make them curious about things. Ensure you grab their attention. Ensure that the answers are not obvious. Design assignment that have no correct answers. Encourage them to post reports or assignments on blogs/forums. Allow them to discuss their ideas and answers with others. These are my list of suggestions. If you think there are other suggestions that help tackle a demotivated learner, please share them.

Ros Aini posed a question in my previous post, "Online learning environment can demotivate online learners. What do you think are the aspects that contribute to this matter?"I am going to try an attempt answering this question based on my experience and what I have read/heard. If you think you disagree, please help me learn more by sharing your thoughts. If you agree and would like to add and give more clarity, please feel free to do so.First let me clarify, online learning environment can demotivate online learners is a generalization. What aspects of online learning environment kill learner motivation?1. Choosing the wrong learning environment for your learnerYour research should help you identify which is the most suitable learning environment in which your learner will learn. A virtual world such as second life may not be suitable for all online learners. You may realize that your learner prefers to read/write than actually 'be' in an environment where they can explore.Tip: Always arrive at a solution (whether online or otherwise) based on research. You will be closer to getting it right. 2. When the learner control is zeroWhen you opt for a learning environment, ensure that it is designed such that the learner can decide their own learning path. Most online learners prefer to decide what they learn and how they learn. Avoid forcing your learners down a structured learning path. Several clients insist that the Next button be disabled till they attempt a practice. Give them the choice. If the practice is challenging enough, they are going to want to take it. Tip: Give them several options such read, listen, do, experiment, share, and so on to learn. 3. When navigation is poorNavigation plays an important role. Think about this, you have used a virtual world (VW) to teach. Your learner spends ages learning how to navigate within this VW and is not comfortable with the controls. Finally, he gives up frustrated about the fact that he is not getting it right. Poor navigation makes the learners feel dumb. And, no one enjoys this feeling. Navigation can kill motivation even if the training material is really good.Tip: Ensure navigation is intuitive. The learner should spend minimum or no time learning how to navigate in the learning environment. 4. When system specifications are not shared upfrontImagine this. You have provided several hyperlinks to blogs and wikis. The organization in which your learner works provides restricted Internet access. The learner tries to click on the link, but gets a 404 error. How frustrating would this be for the learner?Tip: Always state the system and bandwidth requirements. Or design keeping the learner's bandwidth in mind. Other than these, what else could demotivate an online learner?- A know-it-all-peer who makes the learner feel very small, thereby making him reluctant to share his thoughts online again- The learner may constantly doubt the authenticity of content and feel confused about what to internalize- No access or an opportunity to interact with 'true' experts- A learner may feel overwhelmed with the amount of information that is out there