Working with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) is a challenging yet important part of successful course design. Instructional designers often have to find creative ways to obtain all the required information from their SME. Here are some suggestions that you may find helpful when dealing with Subject Matter Experts. Involve SMEs from the beginning – When SMEs are involved in a project from the very beginning, they feel needed and are more willing to share their knowledge with you. Whenever possible, ask the SME why the course is needed and what should happen as a result of the course. You should also ask your SMEs to help you brainstorm the information required for the training. Then, create a prototype and ask the SME to follow and correct it, if necessary. Always ask the SME why they feel the information is important and whether or not this information is required to achieve the objective. Ask the SME to categorize information – When your SME presents you with the content, ask … [Read more...] about 3 Ways To Obtain Information From Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) That Never Fail
Instructional Design and ELearning
4 Localization Issues That Come Up When Translating ELearning Courses
In one of my previous posts, I discussed translating eLearning modules into other languages. Since then, I have completed a project that needed to be translated into Spanish. As I was working on my translation, I came across some localization issues, which I would like to share with other eLearning professionals responsible for translating their courses into other languages. Graphics and images – When you translate your course, keep in mind that in addition to linguistic differences, there are also social and cultural differences. When we deal with cultural differences, we should pay close attention to graphic and images, as they instill different feelings and reactions in people from other cultural backgrounds. Therefore, changing existing images to more neutral or culturally appropriate ones may be another responsibility of someone translating the course. Audio-visual Elements – If the course that you are trying to localize includes video, you may think that dubbing would do it, … [Read more...] about 4 Localization Issues That Come Up When Translating ELearning Courses
To Score or Not to Score?
Instructional designers, especially those who work on federal contract, often experience the dilemma as to whether or not they should score assessments. While some believe that assessments must be scored; there are others, who do not feel that way. Learners who like scored assessments feel that knowing how they did on the test helps them master the content. You probably noticed that often, when you take an assessment and get the question wrong, you receive the following type of feedback: “Sorry, but you did not get it right.” There are learners who are afraid of failure and feel that scored tests are a pedagogical approach to learning not suitable for adults who simply need guidance to achieve better performance results, not scores. In spite of negative attitudes, scored assessments provide information to management about learners’ progress and determine whether the learner is ready to move on to the next, more advanced level. When it comes to assessments instructional … [Read more...] about To Score or Not to Score?
Synchronous ELearning: How To Engage Learners And Increase Retention
Since there is no face to face communication, online teaching requires a lot of effort not only from the instructor but also from the learner. To ensure that each student receives individual attention, I recognize various types of students in my class and adjust to their unique needs. For instance, there are learners who are clearly leaders; they always post comments and responses to other people’s questions. There are also learners who always ask many questions, and expect to receive quick and thoughtful responses almost immediately. Furthermore, there are learners who take online learning very lightly and do not participate in any discussions. Through establishing high expectations from the beginning, and reinforcing deadlines and requirements for successful course completion, I ensure that my learners are on track and their goals and expectations are met. I also provide continuous feedback to each learner using the “pull up a chair” approach. In other words, I send a quick email … [Read more...] about Synchronous ELearning: How To Engage Learners And Increase Retention
6 Recommendations For Translating Your ELearning Courses Into Other Languages
In this article, I want to talk about translating eLearning courses into other languages. Many instructional designers assume that finding a good translator is the key. However, the quality of a translation is only a part of what an instructional designer will be responsible for when dealing with translating courses into foreign languages. Here are some recommendations that eLearning designers in charge of managing translation projects should find useful. Use bulleted lists instead of lengthy narratives. This will allow you to make sure the translator did not miss any major points during the translation process. Make sure that the graphic symbols you use are universal. Because visuals often mean different things for different people,, learners from other cultures may find your graphics offensive. Pay attention to space. When texts are translated into other languages they often expand. This is especially true for the text that appears in boxes or inside the buttons. If you … [Read more...] about 6 Recommendations For Translating Your ELearning Courses Into Other Languages
Accessible ELearning – Developing Section 508 Compliant ELearning Courses
Accessibility is a central aspect of eLearning. What can eLearning designers do to ensure that their courses are accessible? Here are some recommendations: 1. Provide an equivalent text alternative to all information provided in visual format. This can be easily done by adding the alt text attribute to all images. 2. Make sure that the content offered in an interactive format is also available in accessible format. Obviously, learners with hearing and visual impairments cannot fully benefit from multimedia based eLearning courses. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a text transcript that describes the interactions and supplements the visual information. Another option is to create a Camtasia presentation for all the multimedia interactions. To learn more about using Camtasia for making e-Learning more compliant, read my blog post about Creating Section 508 Compliant E-Learning solutions (http://bit.ly/1hGrX4T) 3. Make sure that the information is well structured and … [Read more...] about Accessible ELearning – Developing Section 508 Compliant ELearning Courses