Argh! I swear I hit ‘schedule’ on this post, but I’ll go ahead now and apologize for the 24 hour delay…whoops! Today I’m going to be chatting a bit about two types of evaluation: formative and summative. Now, I had heard these terms thrown around here and there working within my first corporate gig; however, it wasn’t until I began my graduate studies that these terms creeped up more frequently. I’m not sure if they’re traditionally education-specific, but if that’s true, they really should change that! Evaluation is a critical part of each course/product/project, and both formative and summative evaluations are essential to a comprehensive evaluation. Why? Well, just hold on to your horses and I’ll tell you! Formative and Summative Evaluation Explained Formative evaluation occurs when a program is rolled out to a small group of people (testers) and is sometimes referred to as a ‘soft launch’. Essentially, this allows the developer to obtain information regarding potential revisions prior to committing to a full launch. Formative evaluation is essential, especially when you’re a one-person show, because it’s really invaluable to have a second (or third or fourth) set of eyes look at something you’ve spent all of your time working on, as these sets of eyes will often times pick up small issues you may have missed in your quality assurance check. Additionally, these reviewers may also provide great insight into modifications that may enhance user experience. Sometimes it can be too late to incorporate these revisions, but often times it’s easy to make a compromise and include some of the smaller revisions while holding out on the larger revisions for a version 2 of the project. Summative evaluation occurs after the program has been formally rolled out and are meant to assess the effectiveness of the program as a whole. This type of evaluation is important as it allows the developer to revise the program accordingly to achieve maximum effectiveness. In this situation, effectiveness is measured by how well the training program meets the requirements and allows learners to achieve the learning outcomes. But who has time to evaluate each program? Great question! Most folks barely have enough time in the day to get all of their work done (come on - Beyonce has a large team of folks helping her out, and it’s just little ol’ me over here), but even if a formal evaluation isn’t in the cards (which is an unfortunate reality for many of the programs I’ve worked on), you should still evaluate each project (internal) and stay on top of client feedback (external) as it will help you grow as a developer. You’ll be able to consult a list (or memory even) of lessons learned and these lessons learned may help to streamline your process in the long run…making you more efficient and getting you closer to success (which often means fewer revisions)! Still confused? Here are some great resources: Types of Evaluation in Instructional Design What’s the difference between formative and summative evaluations? Formative & Summative Assessment: An Explanation Introduction to Evaluation Measurement and Evaluation in Human Performance

What you sell is unique. Your sales team is unique. Shouldn’t your training be unique, too? We wouldn’t expect to be able to create training software that fit your company perfectly—that’s why we made Expand Share so customizable. It’s a learning platform that combines training and knowledge sharing throughout your organization in an interface that’s easy to use. More than just user-friendly, you can make Expand Share your own.

I was developing some neat emulations for one of my clients last week, when the client requested that I include an additional ‘feedback’ of sort to emphasize that the user must double-click if they merely single click during the emulation. Now, this wasn’t feedback-persay, so I didn’t include it in the feedback options, but I did struggle a bit getting the hotspot interaction to behave the way I needed it to, so I decided to do a little demo to explain how I had worked through this issue in Articulate Storyline. To do this, I converted a screen to freeform (hotspot), and set up the feedback options to branch to the correct response and set the submission to behave on double-click. Initially, I had messed around with it by providing the correct hotspot and then putting a trigger on the base layer over the incorrect option, but then that would only show the prompt if the user selected the incorrect option - something that might not happen as often with 2 options versus 20 (as in the software). So to get the interaction to behave the way I wanted, I set up two hotspots in the convert to freeform editor: 1 large hotspot encompassing the entire screen, and 1 smaller hotspot encompassing the correct response. Then, I ensured the correct response was selected and saved. When I returned to the development screen, I added a layer with some text "YOU MUST DOUBLE-CLICK!" and created a trigger on the base layer to display this new layer if the user clicks anywhere in Hotspot 1 (which in the convert to freeform editor was the incorrect hotspot which encompassed the entire screen). On preview, we see that the screen now behaves the way I need it to. Single-clicking anywhere brings up the double-click layer prompt, double-clicking the incorrect option (in this case, Oliver, the dog) produces no response (in the software simulation, this brought up some feedback, but for simplicity, I didn’t include any feedback), and then double-clicking the correct option (in this case, Milo, the cat) takes the user to the correct slide. Did my explanation confuse the heck out of you? Watch the demo, below! Double Click Demo from Ashley Chiasson on Vimeo.

Since your first day as a sales manager, you’ve worked hard to uncover how you can help your team make bigger and better sales. You’ve examined your department’s inefficiencies, but no matter the problem, there always seems to be one underlying culprit: training. Research shows most sales training is ineffective. In fact, up to 80 percent of new skills are lost within one week of training if they’re not used. With statistics like this in mind, you’ve been researching what you can do to improve sales training within your company. What you’ve found is improving your sales training—and I mean really improving your sales training—involves finding the right partner to help you create relevant, engaging learning material and the right tool for training delivery and reinforcement. Much to your chagrin, neither of these things come cheap. 

This week’s e-learning challenge is an interesting one…one that is often glossed over in discussions, but which has also been discussed at length (if you look for it): Storyboard Templates! Hooray! I’ve chatted about storyboarding vs. rapid prototyping here and created a jaunty time-lapse demonstration of the development of a very basic storyboard template here (along with a downloadable template - wahoo!), but I’m going to go through David’s questions and maybe even include some downloadable sample templates. GET EXCITED!!! The Concept Share an example of your preferred storyboard template and answer the following questions: How do you define scripting, storyboarding, and prototyping? Which method do you prefer? Do you use different types of storyboards? When do you use each? How do you storyboard interactivity? What are your top three storyboard tips for new course creators? The Method First, I considered my storyboarding preferences and sifted through my hard drive to locate some samples. I realized that I had previously included my preferred storyboard template (and by preferred, I mean most commonly used and/or adapted for use) here. Then, I considered each question and jotted down some note for each. The Result By clicking here, you can download my preferred/most commonly used and/or adapted for use storyboard template. How do you define scripting, storyboarding, and prototyping? Which method do you prefer? I previously defined storyboarding and prototyping over here, so I won’t bore you with a re-ramble of that post.  As far as scripting goes, I would consider this to be including verbatim onscreen text, narration, and or media element scripts for other developers (and/or yourself as an organization tool). When scripting audio narration, I also would define aspects of the script to clarify the verbatim narration (e.g. pronunciation). I prefer rapid prototyping overall, but find it most effective with smaller projects, requiring less sign off from other individuals. With larger courses/products, I prefer to storyboard in a Microsoft Word template as it’s much easier (and cost effective) to modify a Word document than a developed file. Do you use different types of storyboards? When do you use each? I do you different types of storyboards, but it really depends on the clients needs. If they’re able to visualize the overall course based on a detailed Word storyboard, I’ll do that. If they need something more visual, I’ll develop a visual storyboard in Microsoft PowerPoint or Articulate Storyline. If a complex branching scenario is used, I’ll refer to a Word storyboard in a task analysis template (e.g. where each cause and effect task is branched out appropriately). If the client requires an Excel template, I’ll cringe and comply (and sob). How do you storyboard interactivity? My typical method for storyboarding interactivity is to create detailed accounts (occasionally supplemented with mocked up visuals - for complicated media descriptions) of the media and interactivity to be included on that screen. This tends me be adequate, but sometimes clients (or Subject Matter Experts) need more of a visual, in which case, I’ll do a visual storyboard using PowerPoint and include descriptions of the interactions or mock them up as much as possible (using animation effects) to convey a similar look and feel of the end product. What are your top three storyboard tips for new course creators? BE CONCISE in your onscreen content - no one likes scrolling (too much). Ensure all aspects required for development are accounted for within the storyboard (e.g. navigation, introduction, conclusion screens, interactivity, audio script) - it’s good to have a one-stop-shop approach to your storyboard templates. Be as detailed as possible in your media descriptions; often times in larger organizations, the storyboard gets handed off to a media developer and then maybe a programmer, and you want to be as detailed as possible to avoid back and forth communication regarding elements. Doing this will save you time, money, and frustration. AND - everyone will be on the same page (e.g. the media developer can get added context for a screen by reading the onscreen text, and the programmer has a better understanding of how to program the media interactivity by reading the media description). All aboard!

In an industry like sales, when employees don’t take training seriously, they don’t learn the concepts you want them to learn. In the case of utility workers, not taking training seriously could be a significant safety matter. Take the example of DTE Energy. As a Fortune 500 energy company, DTE wanted employees to take pre-job safety briefings seriously. Instead, they saw inattentive body language from participants and a lack of effective teaching methods from supervisors. To fix this problem, DTE created a video-based program with Expand that took a playful approach, while also demonstrating the importance of the information included. You can check out some clips from the finished product here.

I was inspired to write about style guides after seeing a very beautiful one for a current client. As dorky as it might sound, I get incredibly excited about style guides! Style guides?! Style guides are typically client-generated; however, I have worked for organizations where various departments (e.g. Instructional Design, Programming, Multimedia) contribute to the development of a client’s style guide. They are documented explanations and illustrations of stylistic options that are available for the product in development. These stylistic options typically include approved logos and branding, colours (and corresponding hex values), appropriate fonts and sizes, and can even be so specific as to dictate the pixel width a highlight box must be or the screen resolution the product must adhere to. Basically, the style guide dictates how your product should look/feel and is typically developed by the client in an effort to stay ‘on brand’.  Other elements can even include the tone of voice used (active vs passive) or grammar preferences. But why should I be interested in these? Now, I’m not saying you need to get giddy about a beautifully crafted style guide like I do, but what I am saying is that you probably should inquire as to whether your client has one. Why? Because doing so can save a lot of time and effort spent revising a developed product to adhere to the company’s branding standards. It can be very tedious changing fonts and sizes for large projects… Another great thing about style guides is that they ensure that all team members (if there are more than just yourself) have the same information and are adhering to the client’s aesthetic requirements. This can yield an incredible cost savings when you consider the effort involved in reprogramming interactive pieces or re-developing multimedia assets. Style guides also save you tons of time and guess work! The projects I’ve worked on that had prescribed style guides had a lot less back and forth stylistic revisions than those without. While designing different layouts and using different typography may be your jam, clients may feel like you failed to read their mind with regarding to determining their brand’s vibe. No one wants you to miss the mark! Here are some handy resources: Style Guides for E-Learning Courses Brand Guidelines  Creating a Yearbook Style Guide Style Guide: How relevant is it in an e-Learning course?

There are few managers who would disagree that a comprehensive training program is vital to the success of a sales team. However, if you’ve worked with salespeople in any capacity you know these folks are professional multitaskers. Driving and working at the same time? No problem! (We don’t endorse that habit...safety first, people!) Considering they are usually incentivized for capturing new business, responding to client and prospect inquiries is their top priority. They’ll duck out of meetings to take phone calls, check their email constantly and are often researching their next target.

The benefits of investing better sales training are vast. From higher return on investment to shaping better employees who stay longer, there’s little reason not to explore the possibilities for streamlining sales training. But between your employees, outside managers and company higher-ups, everyone has their own idea of how to streamline sales training. So how do you know what you really need for more engaging and effective sales training?

Pantone announced that the 2014 colour of the year was Radiant Orchid. And how I feel about it? - What’s pretty for none is hideous to some. I’m sorry, Pantone. You dropped the ball on the colour for me this year. Purple is one of my very favourite colours, but this shade of purple is just acrid to me. The Concept This challenge was to create a ‘radiant’ template using Radiant Orchid as the colour palette of choice. I’m going to sound like I’m making excuses here, and I am. But, I truly struggled with creating this template because I found everything I created to just look so vile. However, perhaps some of you appreciate Radiant Orchid and will also appreciate these layout templates I developed - who knows?! The Method First, I checked out the colour and applied it as a background colour to one slide. I wasn’t a fan, but I had to move forward. I found adding a gradient helped a bit, so I did that and went with it. Then, I considered several basic screen layouts and sought about developing them, added some navigational elements (e.g. chevrons instead of the back/next button default), and tossed some placeholder layers in for the buttons. The Result The fruits of my labour were six screen layouts that you can customize any which way you choose - I tried to appeal to some of the most commonly encountered layouts, so hopefully they will address your template needs. Below, you will see a screenshot of one of the layouts included, and you will be provided with a link to the demo and the downloadable .story file. Go forth, spread the cheer of Pantone’s colour of the year! Click here to view a demo of the full Radiant Orchid template. Click here to download the full Radiant Orchid .story file for Articulate Storyline.  

They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Now, we’re not saying continuing to use inefficient knowledge practices is cause for a straight jacket…but it’s probably a good indicator it’s time to try something different. After all, what’s the point in devoting time, money and energy to training your employees if you aren’t seeing the results you want? Time spent training your employees is already time spent away from their job duties. Naturally, you want this to be worthwhile. Fulfilling eLearning requirements shouldn’t just be a box your employees can check once they’ve gone through the motions. It should be an engaging, enriching and knowledge-expanding experience that better prepares them to perform on the job. All too often, we see companies caught up in what we’ll call "for the sake of it" employee training. They’re perpetuating outdated and ineffective methods simply to say training was completed regardless of whether it had any positive impact. This is especially prevalent with ineffective eLearning. It’s easy to feel like your company is on the cutting edge if you’re simply using online training. However, we all know, when not done properly, online training can be just as unsuccessful as the old methods it was working to replace. How about we say goodbye to inefficient learning practices once and for all? Here are three that we wouldn’t mind never seeing again. The Non-engaging Page Turner: Click. Click. Click. Your employees might continue to hit "next" in a PowerPoint presentation, but that doesn’t mean they’re absorbing the information in front of them. Without some level of engagement or interaction, "page turner" training isn’t likely to reach the large majority of your employees. While some might take the initiative to really delve into their learning, most will likely just be interested in completion "for the sake of it." The One Size Fits All: Your employees are not all the same. They’re more likely to benefit from eLearning that values their individualism. More than just working alone at their own pace, a truly individualized solution needs to interact with the learner based on their performance. The Did It and Done: Without employing some level of assessment or comprehension check, your employees can easily do their training and be done with it. eLearning that promotes engagement with the material and interactive assessments are more likely to ensure concepts stick with them long after they’re done clicking. You don’t want your training program to be just another day at the office. Instead, it should make your employees feel valued for the work they’ve done and motivated for the work they’re going to do. Want a training solution that won’t perpetuate these inefficient eLearning practices? Check out Expand Share.

People are always asking me what skills they should learn in order to be a successful Instructional Designer (ID), and there really is no hard fast recommendation. There isn’t one formula that will spit out the perfect ID, but there are a ton of adjacent competencies that IDs might want to focus on. In addition to enchanting your mind with new information and ways of doing things, these suggestions may also make you a bit more marketable within the ID world. 1. Education IDs come from all walks of life - I had a Linguistics background when I hit the ground running as an ID, but it truly is important to know where you came from (so to speak) and learn about the principles behind Instructional Design. This could be through formal education, through books, or through a community of peers (just to name a few options). Whatever you choose, be eager to understand why it is you’re doing the things you’re doing within your Instructional Design, and how you can improve the user experience and optimize success (for the program AND the student). Design for How People Learn by Julie Dirksen The Accidental Instructional Designer: Learning Design for the Digital Age by Cammy Bean Instructional Design Essentials: Models of ID Instructional Design Essentials: Needs Analysis Instructional Design Essentials: Storyboarding E-Learning Heroes Community  2. Graphic Design Some IDs pride themselves in being creative and capable graphic designers, but there is a large population of IDs who have what feels like zero creativity (me on most days) and who have minimal artistic ability (me, me, me!). In my first corporate gig, I was spoiled with a team of multimedia developers who would cater to most all of my whims and requests. Now as an independent, I’m often left to my own devices (or to sub-contracting out graphic design projects). With that being said, I do know my (truncated) way around Adobe Photoshop, and in a pinch I can do some very basic things (you also might not believe what a useful resource PowerPoint can be!). Here are some resources I would recommend for brushing up on some basic graphic design skills: Photoshop Accelerated Introduction to Graphic Design How to Create Your Own Illustrated Graphics in PowerPoint The Doodle Revolution by Sunni Brown 3. Programming Languages This here is something I don’t have a lot of experience in, but it’s worth learning how to code basic HTML, JavaScript, and CSS in the event that you need some of this code for your e-learning projects. Now, again, this is not an essential skill of a ‘good’ ID, it’s just a nice-to-have skill and likely will come in handy every now and again. There are other roads you can go down if you’re genuinely enthused by learning programming languages - e.g. Learning something like Unity to program 3D scenarios, but I reckon you should research further than this post if you’re serious about learning programming languages…because I’m not the guru for you! Within authoring environments, code can be handy to know even to just troubleshoot why a Learning Management System isn’t ‘reading’ your SCORM package despite you having properly ‘SCORM’ed’ it. Code Academy Ladies Learning Code (I really enjoyed the HTML/CSS course!) Introducing the JavaScript Language

One of the biggest challenges eLearning poses is how to replicate the human connection workers might be used to experiencing with in-person training. The voiceover is a crucial element to capturing your audience’s attention throughout the duration of their training. The wrong voice can quickly cause attention spans to deteriorate or turn learners off from the start.  Even though the utility workers in this video were acting, their response is a pretty accurate representation of how quickly most utility workers will be able to tune out if they don’t connect with the voice. We get it: Sitting through an eLearning program is already taking utility workers out of their element. They’re used to being active on the job and learning through experience. If your eLearning course isn’t delivered through a voice they connect with, you’ll just be wasting your (and their) time.  So does this mean you should just throw in the towel on eLearning for your utility workers? Far from it! While it might take a little more finesse to find the right voice to deliver such important information, it can certainly be done.  Since picking the right voice actor can be an overwhelming task (So many choices! So many voices!), we created a checklist to help you determine if a voice is the right fit for training your utility workers.  6 Must-Have Qualities of a Voiceover for Training Utility Workers Authority: Utility workers know their job and they know it well. They aren’t going to tolerate a voice that doesn’t take on a degree of authority over the content. The voice you choose should come across as knowledgeable and confident.  Authenticity: Even though you may be hiring a voice actor to deliver your eLearning course, he or she needs to be believable. The voice should sound authentic to their industry, as if it could walk right out of the screen and join in on the work. Accessibility: Being able to easily understand the voiceover will make utility workers more likely to invest in the content they are learning. Think friendly but not overly casual. The right voice should be accessible without being distracting. Captivating: If the voice of your eLearning isn’t interested in the material, your utility workers won’t be either. Finding a voice that can capture and keep their attention is important to the success of your training.  Avoids Condescension: Your utility workers take a lot of pride in their work, so the last thing they want is to feel talked down to. If their training comes across as condescending, your workers will be turned off from the start.  Recognizable: The voice artist for your eLearning should feel like just another co-worker to your utility workers. If they recognize themselves and each other in the tone and approach, they’ll be more likely to pay attention and benefit from the information.  Our final tip is this: Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback. Or, if you’ve had unsuccessful training programs in the past, ask your workers what it was that they didn’t connect with. Their perspective can make all the difference.  Interested in learning more about how to make your eLearning more effective? Let us help.  

The Concept This challenge was to create our best tabs interaction; while I don’t necessarily consider this to be the best tabs interaction I’ve developed, I do think it’s a cute little one! The challenge specifically asked for five tabs, but I used four because a colour palette drove my inspiration. The Method I was trolling around Colour Lovers and stumbled upon a pretty colour palette, so I skimmed through the e-learning challenges to see which challenge I could best apply the colour palette to. Then, I decided I wanted to do an in and out type of theme - reminiscent of those pop-up books you used to read as a kid, with the tabs to drag items across the page. Once I had the general idea, I created some tabs and ‘pages’, adding shadows to the pages and tabs to emphasize that each is a separate item. Then I created a layer for each tab, and when selected, the appropriate tab would display. The Result Click here for a demo of the full interaction. Click here to download the Articulate Storyline template of this free tabbed interaction.

You’ve already decided interactive eLearning is the right fit for your company. You’ve also come to the realization that your company doesn’t have the time, means or experience to create an effective program in-house, so you’ve decided to outsource. It might seem like the bulk of your big decisions are behind you, but there’s one more big piece to the puzzle: Who should you hire as your eLearning partner? There are many choices out there, making it difficult to narrow it down to the best fit for your organization. Rather than getting overwhelmed and choosing the first option you come across, it’s best to take your time and find a partner who understands exactly what you need.  Where do you start? And how do you know if an eLearning partner is right for you? Here are three big questions to get the ball rolling and help you decide: Have you created programs similar to what I’m looking for? Can I see examples? Finding a company experienced with the type of eLearning program you’re looking for is essential for getting what you want the first time. If anything, it can show you you’re on the same page and have a strong foundation to build upon. If the company says yes, make sure you ask for examples. This will be helpful to not only ensure the company is being honest with you, but also to see exactly what the team has done in the past.  Can you describe your development process? When choosing an eLearning partner, you need to know exactly what you’re getting into. Knowing how the company develops its programs and what degree of feedback you’ll be able to offer is necessary to establish the working relationship. You don’t want to have any miscommunications about the expectations of the project.  What ideas do you have for my specific eLearning program? You might have an entire binder full of ideas for developing your eLearning program…or you might be completely lost. Either way, you’ll want to know what ideas your partner will be bringing to the table. The team’s response can also provide good insight into how well they understand you and your organization, as well as how closely your visions align. Though these three questions are a good place to start, you should feel free to ask as many questions as you need to when searching for an eLearning partner. You can also search for reviews online or use your network to ask for a recommendation. Regardless of how you come to your decision, you want it to be one you feel confident about, so don’t be afraid to be thorough in your research.  Think Expand might be the right eLearning partner for your organization? Let’s talk.  

This week I sat in on a celebration of teaching and learning workshop where the theme was geared toward understanding student differences and enhancing student experience, specifically in terms of sense of belonging and accessibility. The topic of Universal Instructional Design (UID) came up, and while I was nodding my head to the point of pulling a muscle, I think many of my colleagues were at a loss for words. Now that’s not saying they all were, but I was probably the only one sustaining injury during those slides of the presentation. As a result, I’m planning a workshop on the topic of UID. In any event, I figured that if 75 people in a small workshop were wondering about UID, I thought a pocket of the Internet might be curious too, so here we go! Universal Instructional Design (UID) UID involves the careful consideration of all potential learner needs in the design and development of a curriculum and/or course. It involves thinking about how you can appeal to all individuals, enhancing the user experience, without hindering the content and learning objectives. Part of the bigger problem might be that not all instructors know how to write proper learning objectives, but that’s a problem for another day. There are seven primary principles of UID: Equitable Use; Flexibility in Use; Simple and Intuitive; Perceptible Information; Tolerance for Error; Low Physical Effort; and Size and Space for Approach and Use. Some camps differ in their explanation of principles for UID, but all of the above seem to be considerations in most, if not all. Now, what this really means is that you want to appeal to the lowest common denominator (and no, I don’t mean ‘dumbing things down’). Meaning that when developing your curriculum and/or course, you should think about making it as accessible as possible. For example, if you’re a science teacher who wants to teach your students about the lifecycle of a bog, design your curriculum to bring the bog to the students instead of requiring students to attend a field trip to observe a bog in its natural habitat. While the latter might be a neat way to engage your students, it automatically excludes those who have physical hindrances (e.g. are in a wheelchair or have allergies). Instead, you can change your way of thinking (and possibly learn something yourself) by creating a small-scale bog lifecycle in the classroom! Fun and outside of the box. In my world of distance education, I encounter a lot of faculty members who are getting stuck behind the technology and what it ‘can’t’ do, that they get stuck in their problem solving. Having been a distance student, I have good insight into ways of enhancing the student experience within distance education, and it really starts with UID. Students enrol in distance education for a variety of reasons, but one of the top reasons is: Accessibility. If students are enrolling for reasons related to accessibility, shouldn’t we be ensuring an equitable user experience to traditional classroom experiences? I should think so! Some Helpful Resources: Introduction to Universal Instructional Design (UID) at the University of Guelph Historical, Theoretical, and Foundational Principles of Universal Instructional Design in Higher Education Seven Principles of Universal Instructional Design Universal Instructional Design Curriculum Transformation and Disability: Implementing Universal Design in Higher Education

You know the expression you get what you pay for? It’s typically used in response to a disappointed reaction after a money-saving choice. For instance, let’s say you have a burger craving, but can’t bring yourself to pay the $12.99 restaurant price, so you head to the closest fast food restaurant. Sure, you’re only out a few bucks, but did you really satisfy your craving? Probably not. You got what you paid for. A similar argument can be made for "off the shelf" eLearning programs. There’s no denying they’re cheaper than a custom model, which makes them the training of choice for many companies looking to cut costs. At the time, the choice probably seems sensible. Employees will still get trained and the company saves a little money. Win-win, right?  Not exactly. All too often, "off the shelf" eLearning programs live up to the you-get-what-you-pay-for mantra. The company is unsatisfied, the training isn’t effective and even more money ends up being spent on a second solution.  While a custom eLearning program likely involves a higher upfront cost, the benefits can make it well worth the price tag. Before you head for the bargain bin, consider these advantages: Why You Should Consider Custom eLearning You’ll get exactly what you want. Just like that unsatisfying fast food burger, an "off the shelf" model will require you to make some concessions. With a custom program, you won’t have to make sacrifices. You’ll get what you want from the very start.  Your employees aren’t one-size-fits all. You company is unique and so are your employees —shouldn’t your eLearning be as well? A program that is designed to be standardized isn’t likely to fit the specific needs of your company. By going with a custom model, you can ensure your eLearning program fits your specific employees. You’ll develop an ongoing relationship with an agency. The agency will get to know your company, and you’ll get to know the agency, allowing for better service and online training that works the first time around.  You won’t waste your time. Rather than settling on a cheaper model that won’t have everything you want, a custom eLearning program keeps you from having to start all over. Since you’ll be involved in the design process, you can make choices that make your online training more effective, minimizing the chance you’ll need to find a new solution when your first choice doesn’t work.  You’ll get better results. Providing your employees with effective training is an investment in their future performance. However, since training takes time away from work, you want to make sure it’s effective. By choosing a custom program that caters to your company’s needs and personality, you’ll see results that make the process worthwhile. We’re all for a good deal, but make sure your eLearning program of choice isn’t going to cause you to slap your forehead and mumble, "Well, you get what you pay for." Investing a little more upfront can save you more than a few bucks—it can save you a headache.  Expand Share is a customizable learning platform unlike any other. Learn more about it by clicking here.

Next week, I’ll be presenting at the Articulate E-Learning Heroes Roadshow in Denver! This is exciting for several reasons: I’ll get to meet some new colleagues and reunite with others; I’ll be presenting on how to build your e-learning portfolio, which I did in Toronto, but it’s super important, so I’m doing it again; My husband and I are sticking around for the rest of the week to have a mini-moon together; I’ll get to meet the lovely Erin (and Anthony); and Hiking, coffee, beer, VACATION! …just to name a few. In any event, I’m changing some things up with the presentation for Denver (based on some feedback from Toronto and also some personal revisions). This time around, in addition to some of the templates I linked to by other E-Learning Heroes Community members, I’ll be linking to one of my own. Today I came up with a very simple portfolio template (seen below). You can swap out the sample images, links, colours, and personal information to make it your own, so go ahead and get on that!   Click here to view the full interaction. Click here to download the free portfolio template for Articulate Storyline.

Revamping a training program is one of those tasks that is much easier said than done. In addition to more time and money, change can be a difficult concept to accept—especially if your company’s training has been done one way for a long time.  Yet as a manager, you’re pretty in-tune with the daily operations of your employees. You know when a change is needed. It’s more than a little frustrating to watch important and necessary training fall short year after year. Still, even though you know your company needs to adopt a new training method, how are you supposed to convince your boss to embrace the change?  Since all bosses are different, we came up with a list of approaches for bringing up the need for new training. Try one, try a combination, but most importantly, just try. Your company needs an advocate for better training, and there’s no better time than right now.  8 Strategies to Convince Your Boss You Need New Training Get straight to the point. Your boss will be able to tell if you’re giving him or her the runaround, so be direct about what you want and why you want it.  Highlight the benefits. As easy as it would be to discuss the failings of your current training, keep it positive and focus on the benefits of a new model.  Crunch the numbers. Your boss is probably going to be concerned about the financial side of things, so have specific numbers ready to make your case. Give the stats. Nothing makes an argument more convincing than demonstrating real life success, so find some statistics to back up your claims.  Present a few options. Even if you have your heart set on one particular new training solution, bring a few options to the table so your boss won’t feel cornered with only one choice.  Show the problem. If your boss denies your current training is ineffective, kindly ask him or her to sit through a session. It’s likely been awhile since they experienced the training first hand, so reminding him or her of the problems can highlight the need for a new solution.  Demonstrate what could be. Provide a demonstration of a new model to show your boss what kinds of improvements could be made.  Use employee feedback. If your employees are just as fed up with unsuccessful training as you are, use their feedback to show your boss how much they want to learn and apply their knowledge. Emphasize that the issues with your training aren’t related to unmotivated employees but inefficient learning methods.  By taking the time to thoroughly present your case, you’ll show your boss how a custom eLearning program is well worth the money and effort.  Let us help you convince your boss. Contact Expand to have your needs assessed or to schedule a free demo.   

As folks operating within the field of education (or training and development, however you prefer to look at it), it’s critical that we continue foraging our own learning journeys. Admittedly, I’ve been a bit slack with this. Why? I freelanced my butt off, quit my corporate gig, started my own business, and scored a fantastic gig within the post-secondary education sector - just to name a few. However, I’m letting things slow down for me a little bit, and I’m hoping to be able to participate more frequently in the coming months. With that being said, I’ve been keeping my eye on a few great collaborative learning opportunities, primarily existing within the social media sphere. These are great, because they don’t involve a whole lot of time and you get to learn from a group of colleagues with similar interests! Here are some learning opportunities that have been on my radar: E-Learning Heroes Weekly Challenges  - I participate in these when time allows, and I am presently challenging myself to complete all of the current challenges and keep pace with new ones. Learn Camp - A self-directed learning experience designed to allow participants to explore new learning concepts and technologies. I’ve seen a lot of Twitter activity under the #LearnCamp hash tag, and catching up will be my goal during some upcoming downtime! Lrnchat - Lrnchat is an active chat-based community of involvement over on Twitter (hash tag #lrnchat). Participants meet on Twitter each Thursday and participate in online discussion of questions that have been asked. People get really into this one, and I would definitely recommend participating if your Thursday evenings aren’t currently tied up! OLC Online Teaching Certificate - This program is presently in my line of sight as an opportunity for professional development within my on-site role. It’s a great opportunity to expand upon my Instructional Design experience, while allowing me to contribute more effectively to the design and development of online courses with university faculty members. Online Learning Consortium Annual Conference 2014 - This year I’ll be sitting in on streamed sessions for the annual conference, and there are SO MANY available! I’m pretty excited. Especially since I wanted to hit up DevLearn this year and wasn’t selected as a presenter (this time around). Both events occur around the same time (late October), so I’m happy to be able to participate in one. E-Learning Heroes Roadshows - After becoming more active in the E-Learning Heroes Community and being asked to present at the Toronto event back in July, I was hooked! If you have an opportunity to attend one of these events, you’re definitely in for a treat! I’ve also been looking into a PhD program, but that’s neither here nor there (until I get accepted - which might be this year, next year, the year after - who knows). It’s a long-term goal I have, so I might as well get a jump on it, even if I’m still in the infancy stage.

Determining how effective your eLearning program is for your employees is usually pretty simple: Did employees learn or not learn certain concepts? Has job performance improved or not improved? Were employees engaged or not engaged? However, when you’re using eLearning to help your healthcare organization run more smoothly, gauging effectiveness isn’t always as simple as a couple of yes or no questions.  For starters, your patients probably won’t take too kindly to being quizzed. Luckily, there are other ways to gauge the success of your healthcare eLearning program without putting your patients on the spot.  5 Indicators Your Healthcare eLearning is Working Happier Patients. When your patients feel informed and prepared, they’ll be more at ease with their stay in the hospital. Pay attention to patient reactions to your eLearning program to see how it affects their mood and overall approach to their healthcare struggles.  Improved Patient Compliance. A big reason many patients end up being repeat patients is due to confusion or misinformation over their continuing care. eLearning can help ensure patients have a solid understanding of how to use their new medical devices, perform their therapy exercises and take the proper doses of medications. If you’re seeing less repeat patients due to compliance issues, it’s safe to say your eLearning is making a difference.  Less Daily Frustration. Communication issues are a common source of frustration among hospital workers. When patients are better informed due to eLearning, healthcare employees won’t have to repeat instructions as frequently or deal with as many repercussions from miscommunications. If your eLearning is working, your hospital will hopefully experience less daily frustration.  Increased Efficiency. With more knowledgeable patients and staff, the daily operations of your hospital will hopefully run smoother. If you notice increased efficiency in tasks that used to require significantly more time, it might be an indicator your hospital is experiencing positive effects from eLearning. Positive Feedback. Often, one of the best ways to tell if your eLearning is working is from the positive feedback you hear from the parties involved. Don’t be afraid to ask patients what they think of your training program, and take note of where they see benefits.  As eager as you probably are to see results, remember these things take time. Set goals for progress over time and track the differences you see in employee or patient behavior and the daily operations of your healthcare organization.  Are you interested in a healthcare eLearning program? Click here to learn how Expand can fit your needs.   

I have to apologize, because this is the first time Terminology Tuesday will not appear at it’s regularly scheduled time. Why?! (I know - you’re dying to hear about a new term) - WELL! My husband and I are on our very first vacation together as newlyweds, I’m presenting at the E-Learning Heroes Roadshow: Denver tomorrow, and my brain has more or less checked out - at least for the duration of my international flights. We packed light (or so the airline check in lady and customs guy told us), checked the pup into boarding, threw down a salad bowl of food for the cats (I KID! Mom will feed them twice a day - diligently - or Alison will eat one of the others), and had an airport beer. Movies and episodes of The League have been loaded onto the laptop, batteries are all charged, and WE ARE READY! I’ll try not to let vacation/party time overthrow conference presenting, but I make no promises. In any event, Terminology Tuesday will see you next week, and tomorrow I’ll toss up a conference-related blog post to tide ya’ll over.

Everyone learns differently, but did you know 65 percent of people are considered visual learners? This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, given how dominant images and videos are in our culture. These days, it seems like just about every experience, moment or even meal is documented with an image.  There’s a reason we’re so drawn to image-based learning: Our brains are poised to process images quicker and easier than text content. And eLearning courses offer the perfect forum for capitalizing on visual learning. Including visual content in your eLearning courses helps capture the attention of your audience and makes them more likely to retain more information.  Let’s take a look at some of the science behind visual learning to see why it can be beneficial to your eLearning courses.  5 Reasons to Embrace Visual Learning Images are more easily stored in long-term memory. Difficult concepts are more easily understood when paired with a visual as an example. Once a concept is learned, having an image tied to it makes the information easier to recall. According to one study, 65 percent of visual information was able to be retained after a three day period of time—a significant difference over the 10 percent of text-only information.  Images are a more efficient way to learn. The large majority of information transmitted to the brain is visual. (90 percent, to be exact.) This is probably because our brains are able to process visual information at a much quicker rate than text information. While reading takes time and context to comprehend, visual context can be understood almost immediately.  Images improve learning comprehension. Since seeing an image stimulates our imagination, which allows us to process information more clearly. This study found including an image improved learning comprehension by up to 400 percent. When learners are able to, quite literally, "get a visual" of a concept, they’re able to understand and process the information more easily.  Visuals can leave a lasting impression. We’re more likely to react to a visual on an emotional level than we are to text. That’s why so many more people find themselves crying at movies instead of books. Images have the ability to cause an emotional response that helps commit information to memory.  People like images. It might seem like a silly final reason, but images capture attention and interest, leading to more engaged learners. At the most basic level, including visual content in your eLearning courses might simply make your audience enjoy the process more. You want your eLearning courses to be as effective as possible, which means you need to teach your audience in the way they want to be taught. Including visual content can take your eLearning course from something your employees simply get through to something they commit to memory.  Ready to design your custom eLearning program? Check out how we can help bring eLearning to life.    

Today I’ll be presenting at the E-Learning Heroes Community Roadshow in Denver. There is a huge lineup of fantastic presenters, and I’m eager to meet them all and hear what they have to say! I’m sure it’s going to be just as fun as it was in Toronto, so I hope to see a lot of participants engaging themselves in the full breadth of the learning experience today and tomorrow. I plan to share some key information about building your e-learning portfolios, but most importantly, I’ll be sharing some work done by several other E-Learning Heroes. Creating a portfolio doesn’t need to be a daunting task, and I’ll be giving some helpful tips that will hopefully encourage you to work on your own! Basically, I want to discuss portfolio building, why an e-learning portfolio is so important, why creating a portfolio can be a challenge, and why it really doesn’t need to be! You can check out the slides below!   Download this RESOURCE SHEET and check out all of the challenges and templates discussed during this presentation. Download the FREE PORTFOLIO TEMPLATE that I shared during this presentation.