A rose is not about reviewing one petal at a time. A few principles to follow… Do not go over the features of the software one at a time. Feature 1, Feature 2, etc. Eyes glaze over. Nobody remembers much after this. Do not organize software training based on the menus. See #1. If the users… Continue Reading
I was talking with a long-time customer today, and he mentioned that some instructional designers are stuck in their instructional design world. Enamored with design models, techniques, and technology Not focused on performance We don’t want to be those stuck-in-our-own-little-world designers. So, here’s a reminder about why we design instruction: It’s not because we love… Continue Reading
Back in the olden days, when programmed instruction (precursor to online learning) was a thing, we learned not to write questions called “copy frames.” Do Not Point too Obviously to the Obvious Right Answer What that means is, don’t give a little bit of information and then ask a question that only requires glancing at… Continue Reading
Right there on the project plan it says that a draft of your document is due on Friday. It’s going to clients and subject-matter experts for review. You may be thinking that editing for punctuation, grammar, and spelling at this point is a waste of time. After all, it’s a draft. What you want is… Continue Reading
Using video to deliver (all or part of) instruction can be a) great, b) practical, c) expensive, d) time-consuming, or e) deadly. Here are some thoughts about when to use it (or not). Photo © Andreas Praefcke When does it make sense to provide instructional videos? Here are some reasons to provide instructional videos. They range from… Continue Reading
For learning to occur—and stick—one part of the equation is the contribution designers can make to encouraging mental engagement. So Many Elements to Make Engagement Happen As we put a training program together (when training is the right answer), designers can do more (than is commonly done) to promote engagement. We should remember not only… Continue Reading
One great thing about being an instructional designer is that you are constantly learning. Most new assignments involve new content. Ready to Design Anything So learning is great, but it can be terrifying to design for a learning program when you start out not knowing a thing about the content. Here are some suggestions: 1.… Continue Reading
Let’s imagine that someone has asked you to make something better. This might happen because you play the role of a… Manager Project Manager Process Manager Training Professional Organization Development Consultant Performance Consultant Etc., etc. The something might be a problem, for example: Too many errors A time-wasting procedure A lack of necessary resources Slow… Continue Reading
What if we were to offer smallish bits of training to make skill enhancements, updates, reviews, and following up a little easier? I’m working with some folks to do just that, and they’re calling it “flash training.” Here All Summer: Gone in a Flash What is flash training? It’s a small unit of instruction, created… Continue Reading
Do they work? Can people learn from them? Are they a colossal waste of time? Can so many learners at once find value? Here’s my answer: It depends. I posted a link to an article about types of MOOCs the other day, and two people I respect jumped into the comments to suggest that MOOCs… Continue Reading
