Question from a client:

We want to create 2 non-mandatory e-learning courses to train staff in a new HR procedure. The e-learning will be tracked on the LMS, because one day we may want to reference the historical completion data. What do you think about this approach?

Mandatory e-learning implies staff must complete it or there will be consequences. Non-mandatory e-learning is different. Whether or not staff access and complete non-mandatory e-learning is dependent upon the ‘imperative’ staff feel to do so. The perceived benefit of completing non-mandatory e-learning must be greater than the effort required to log into the LMS, locate the course, tolerate the quality, complete it and actually think about and learn from it. This all has to happen within the context of busy working lives.

Factors that determine the adoption of non-mandatory e-learning include:

1. The perception of the LMS in your organisation. Does your LMS currently hold non-mandatory e-learning? If so, how well are these courses being accessed and used? Is your LMS thought of as a useful resource for learning, or a place to go to to complete boring compliance e-learning?
   Your answer to these questions will help you decide whether the e-learning in question really belongs on the LMS.
2. The perception of e-learning in your organisation. Is the e-learning you currently offer renown for it’s quality? Do staff feel as though they have learnt something when they complete your e-learning? Or is your e-learning perceived to be boring and a waste of time?
   Your answer to these questions will help you decide whether e-learning courseware really is the best approach for your content.
3. The resources available to communicate the e-learning exists. This relates back to building the ‘imperative’ to access and complete the e-learning. The communication that the e-learning exists and is useful needs to be embedded in as many touch points relating to the topic as possible. And, the communication needs to be sustained long-term or the fact the e-learning exists will be quickly forgotten.
4. The accessibility of your LMS. This relates back to the perceived effort required to access the LMS. How close is the LMS to staff workflow? How many clicks does it take to get to the start of the course? Does your LMS enable ‘deep linking’, meaning staff can simply click on a link in an email and be taken straight to the course.
5. The perceived value of completion being captured in the training record of individuals. This is about reward, and links back to communication. What is the advantage of having the completion captured in staff profiles? You need to be answer this with conviction, or arguably you shouldn’t be using the LMS.
6. The learning self-directedness and self-governance of your staff. This is about staff readiness to be independent learners, which is a skill requirement to learn from e-learning courseware.

Whether or not the e-learning is going to be mandatory will inform your instructional design of the course right at the start. I’ll write about this in the next blog post.

There are other learning design options to consider if your course is not mandatory. For example, refer to my earlier blog post: E-Learning via LMS or Video for HR Policy Roll-out

The storyboard is a representation of content, visual design, interactivity, navigation, narration etc in soft copy form. For examples of storyboards, check out Connie Malamed’s blog. Storyboards are used by the instructional designer (ID) to:

• Gain agreement with the subject matter expert (SME) on the design approach of the e-learning course
• Provide instruction to the e-learning developer on how the course is to be authored into a multimedia format

The challenge of storyboarding is the variability of ‘interpretation’ between the SME, ID and e-learning author (refer to the diagram below- the red box represents where the storyboard is developed and interpreted).

There are three broad reasons why mis-interpreting the storyboard occurs:

1. The storyboard has been rushed and detail has been omitted or not well laid out
2. There has been an assumption that all members of the e-learning project team can properly read and interpret the storyboard
3. The leap from soft copy storyboard to multimedia large. Subject experts who have not developed e-learning before can find it difficult to visualise what the soft copy inclusions will look line in multimedia format

Once e-learning has been developed in the authoring tool, it is costly in time to change it. The exception is e-learning that has been developed from PPT (e.g. Articulate). It is relatively simple to go back to the PPT template, make changes and republish. This is not the case if the e-learning has been developed in Adobe Flash.

Tips on how to make interpreting the storyboard easier

1. Use a visual layout rather than columns in a word document. As an ID, I find laying out the e-learning inclusions in PowerPoint is simplest for the subject matter expert to sign off on and the e-learning author to develop from. To do this:

• Create a PPT template the same size (pixel dimension) as the intended e-learning course.
• Ask the e-learning developer to mock up the intended graphic user interface in PPT (i.e. header, footer, navigation icons). This helps the ID to position the text and graphics on the template to the right size. If a graphic is not available, simply position a ‘placeholder’ (e.g. a dotted line text box with a description of the intended graphic that needs to be sourced or created by the e-learning developer).
• Write any instructions for interactivity in the notes section of the PPT.
• Write any narration in the notes section of the PPT.
• Make sure the storyboard reviewers look at and interpret both the PPT screen and notes together, and not simply put the PPT in full screen and omitting the notes section.

2. Where possible, review the storyboard together and  not in isolation. This provides opportunity to refine the storyboard and helps the project team gain agreement on the storyboard interpretation.

3. Ensure the storyboard is carefully reviewed, assessed and signed off by the SME prior to it being developed in multimedia.

If the project team stays the same over several projects, each build will become easier. You will get to know the process and the way different design elements are represented in storyboard. In this situation, ensure to stay consistent in your storyboard methodology.

NOTE: Sometimes the instructional approach of an e-learning course is limited because the SME and/or ID is not fully aware of the features of the authoring tool or the skills of the e-learning developer. Take the opportunity to challenge design and interactivity options. Be creative. Include the developer early in your design, and you will get a better outcome. It’s all about communication.

Podcast 25 is the third of a series of three tutorials exploring social media platforms for formal and informal learning in organisations.

Why not download this free e-learning training resource from iTunes.

Or read the transcript.

Or watch the entire free e-learning tutorial series on our YouTube Channel (Podcast 25 is imbedded below).