How to analyze audience in e-learning?

Like, Share and Subscribe to this channel for learning Instructional Design in Marathi!

Creating an E-Learning Module - What does it take?

When well versed with all the theory and considering kickstarting a career in e-learning, one might be wondering what all does it take to complete any given project. Well, answer is - it depends! On what you ask? Well, the product type, its timeline, duration, manpower and budget. Once answers to all of these are clear then starting work can be considered. Some line of thoughts discussed here will help you understand this in detail.

One of the best references is Chapman Alliance. Post an extensive research study, they concluded that all results are shown as ratios, showing number of hours of development to create 1 finished hour of learning (output).

Instructor-Led Training (ILT) - including front end analysis, design, lesson plans, handouts, workbooks, PowerPoint, SME reviews of content to be used during live, face-to-face learning events.

22:1 - ILT training, Simple learning content, possible repurposing of learning source material, with minimal learning support materials.

43:1 - ILT training, average project for creating corporate ILT class with well documented deliverables (Lesson Plan, Handouts, Workbooks, PowerPoint Visuals)

82:1 - ILT training, Complex subject matter, very custom, extended time spent on formatting classroom deliverables.

Level 1 eLearning (Basic) - Including content pages, text, graphics, perhaps simple audio, perhaps simple video, test questions. NOTE: PowerPoint-to-eLearning often falls into this category. Basically pages with assessment

49:1 - eLearning output, Rapid Development, Simple Content, Specialized Authoring Tools (i.e. PowerPoint to eLearning tools)

79:1 - eLearning output, Most typical (average) Level 1 eLearning Content

125:1 - eLearning output, Complex projects, difficult to produce, more media production

Level 2 eLearning (Interactive) - Level 1 eLearning content plus 25% (or more) interactive exercises, allowing learners to perform virtual "try it" exercises, liberal use of multimedia (audio, video, and animations)

127:1 - eLearning output, Rapid development through templated interactions, simple animation, efficient or low-end media production

184:1 - eLearning output, Most typical (average) Level 2 projects

267:1 - eLearning output, advanced and custom interactions, embedded simulation activities and lots of media

Level 3 eLearning (Advanced) - Highly interactive, possibly simulation or serious game-based, use of avatars, custom interactions, award-winning caliber courseware

217:1 - eLearning output, templated interactions, templated games and simulations, efficient simulation development practices (rapid development)

490:1 - eLearning output, Most typical (average) Level 3 projects

716:1 - eLearning output, complex projects, advanced learning simulations and games, extensive media production NOTE: Several respondents listed times greater than 2000+ hours of development per finished hour (very advanced learning simulations and games).

Another reference to adopt the results found from Dr. Karl Kapp's studies. 

Type of Training per 1 hour	Low Hours Per hour of Instruction (2009)	High Hours Per Hour of Instruction (2009)	Low Hours Per hour of Instruction (2003)	High Hours Per Hour of Instruction (2003)
Stand-up training (classroom)	43	185	20	70
Self-instructional print	40	93	80	125
Instructor-led, Web-based training delivery (using software such as Centra, Adobe Connect, or WebEx-two-way live audio with PowerPoint)	49	89	30	80
E-learning Developed without a Template
Text-only; limited interactivity; no animations	93	152	100	150
Moderate interactivity; limited animations	122	186	250	400
High interactivity; multiple animations	154	243	400	600
E-learning Developed within a Template
Limited interactivity; no animations (using software such as Lectora, Captivate, ToolBook, TrainerSoft)	118	365	40	100
Moderate interactivity; limited animations (using software such as Lectora, Captivate, ToolBook, TrainerSoft)	90	240	150	200
High interactivity; multiple animations (using software such as Lectora, Captivate, ToolBook, TrainerSoft)	136	324	60	300
Limited interactivity; no animations (using software such as Articulate)	73	116	NA	NA
Moderate interactivity; limited animations (using software such as Articulate)	97	154	NA	NA
High interactivity; multiple animations (using software such as Articulate)	132	214	NA	NA
Simulations
Equipment or hardware (equipment emulation)	949	1743	600	1000
Softskills (sales, leadership, ethics, diversity, etc.)	320	731	NA	NA

The question that still remains is that can these values be followed as they are? Answer is not really. They set a benchmark for us and we can work ahead using these values. And most importantly, these values dont include the following:

• Writing an eLearning script or developing a storyboard

If you’re creating a software simulation, you’ll need a step-by-step recording script. If you’re creating soft skills content (lessons such as conflict resolution or onboarding), I've found that it could take between 1-2 hours to write a single minute of content.

• Rehearsing the Script

Once you're written the software simulation script, you'll likely need to run through it multiple times to ensure it's accurate.

• Writing an Audio Script

If you're going to include voiceover audio, you should create an audio script. It could easily take you 40 hours or more to prepare an audio script.

• Recording the Software Simulation or Video Demo

Once you've written a script, recording screen actions in any of the eLearning tools is simple and shouldn't take more than the actions detailed in the script. For instance, if the script has you recording a 3-minute process in Microsoft Word, it should only take 3-minutes to record the process. And while recording screen actions doesn't take a lot of time or special skills, if there are a lot of simulations to record, you'll need to factor the time in your budget.

• Developing Assets Externally

You can save production time in your eLearning tool by creating as much of the course assets as possible outside of the eLearning tool. Many people create the content in PowerPoint and simply import the content into the eLearning tool. While that means there will be less content to create in the eLearning tool, don't overlook the fact that the content still needs to be created in that other tool. The production clock begins ticking after you create a blank project, open a project containing previously-recorded content, or import external content such as a PowerPoint presentation. Production includes, but is not limited to: 

• Adding/editing text content such as callouts/captions
• Adding images
• Adding animations
• Adding interactivity (Buttons, clickable hotspots, menus, etc.)
• Creating quizzes
• Publishing to an LMS or web server
• Testing the published content
• Fixing errors found during the testing process
• Republishing and retesting

Inspite of taking so many precautions, it can happen that there is a mismatch between what is estimated and what happens at actual. One of the biggest reasons being client project managers, SME(s), and their organizations, do not have a firm grasp on their own needs. Expectations of what the project would look like as a finished product causes delays as does the desire to add additional content at the last minute. Within the scope of work there were also sub-factors, such as:

• Lack of understanding of one’s responsibility to project; which included not allotting enough time to review work, SME unavailability, provision of materials in a timely manner
• Organizational changes; changes impacting either resources for the project or the overall project
• Incompatible technology and/or lack of knowledge of a technology. It was noted several times that the clients’ technology was incompatible and/or there was a learning curve to using the new tools. To a lesser degree it was also mentioned that software quirks also lent to development time being impacted.

Nevertheless, a trick to address the above challenges can be freezing the script initially and adding a cost per minute of extra changes made. Its business after all! :)

Microlearning

A decade back, e-learning would be associated with simple videos and websites. As time moves ahead, methods of design and training have kept evolving. Modern learners are short on free time and even shorter on attention spans. That’s why microlearning (delivering educational material in bite-sized chunks) is growing in popularity.  Microlearning content can come in any format (text, video, pictures, etc.) and is relatively cheap to make.  A quick answer that solves a pressing problem is exactly what microlearning is all about. Bite-sized learning materials that can be quickly accessed whenever they are needed is an important part of the LXP approach.

You might be wondering what is meant by 'LXP'. Well, the full form is 'Learning Experience Platform'. You may have heard of the term 'LMS'. It means 'Learning Management System'. The difference between the two systems is relatively easy to sum up. The fundamental difference between LXP vs. LMS comes down to administration and control, Whitbeck said. An LMS focuses more on the administration of learning than the experience, while an LXP focuses on the ability to facilitate personalized learning.

Coming back to the latest ongoing trend of Micro Learning, it has become popular for multiple reasons. This learning solution presents small chunks of information in brief modules (maximum of 10 minutes in duration) to learners and allows them to revisit at any time. These easy to consume bits of information are designed with the intent to help learners meet a specific goal on their learning path. In addition to being an effective tool for learning, there are a variety of benefits to using microlearning, to include:

• Cost and Time Efficient
• Personalized to Learners
• Unbiased and Purposeful Knowledge
• Can be used on any device in any location
• More comprehensible for learners

Microlearning is the perfect method of teaching for organizations who have a limited amount of disposable time for training, these brief modules can deliver high quality information without becoming a distraction. The adoption of microlearning has become a popular phenomenon in eLearning, and instructors anticipate the trend will continue to accelerate within the industry. In recent years, Micro-learning has supplemented and in many cases, even replaced the traditional method of learning which was time-consuming and primarily focused on theory. Microlearning, on the other hand, focuses more on the application and is largely self-driven, thus, producing effective and measurable results. 

One of the most well received methods of creating microlearning modules is to create instructional videos or podcasts.

Instructional videos can be a great way to give information as they are engaging and brief. Micro-learning can be used to create short videos about a particular product or developing a needed skill-set, which can then be shared across a variety of platforms like the company’s website and Youtube. This is convenient as the learners can access it whenever required.

Similarly, educational podcasts make it easier for the learners to gain information from the comfort of their own house or while traveling, without taking up too much of their time during work hours. It makes the process more learner-centric as they have control over their learning and can easily set their own pace for receiving the necessary information.

Not only are microlearning videos ideal to provide effective just-in-time (JIT) learning support to your people, instead, they can also be personalized according to the needs of a learner. Most importantly, from a business perspective, microlearning modules can be created quickly and at low cost. This is because it takes less time and money to develop these modules compared to “conventional” eLearning courses. Furthermore, the high degree of efficacy of bite-sized modules ensures your staff members are provided with the learning of the best quality.

To keep it short, quick in design and delivery where as high on revenue!

Gamification

Players seek risks, challenges, rewards, and recognition when they play a game. Application of various game mechanics to learning experiences can help fulfill these ‘human motivations’. When you design a learning game, you need to choose mechanics that seem appealing for your students, whilst also ensuring that they gel well with the context and the overall learning objectives. While there are many prevalent mechanics, we shall only be talking about some common ones in this blog. I shall also list down relevant game ideas that generally employ these mechanics. Here we go:

Points
We all know what points are. Simply put, they are running numerical value related to your actions. Points are generally perceived as a form of ‘feedback’ or ‘rewards’ in learning games.
A game designed on the format of popular television show ‘Who wants to be a millionaire?’ is a great example of using points as rewards for motivation. Feud game show is another interesting game format that incorporates points.

Badges
Players may be awarded badges once they accumulate a certain number of points. Badges fulfill the motivational need of ‘achievement’. Games that deploy simulated real life scenarios are a good candidate for this game mechanic. Provide a badge every time the player moves ahead without faltering in the scenario. A game like Classdojo also makes good use of this mechanic. It uses technology to track students’ behavior. Students can be assigned distinct avatars and can be administered either a reward/badge or consequence by the educator based on their classroom behavior.

Levels
Bronze-silver-gold! Sounds familiar? Levels are systems that represent cumulative score. They fulfill the motivational driver indicating ‘status’.
Jeopardy is one game format that uses levels effectively. The previously cited ‘Who wants to be a millionaire?’ is another game example which incorporates levels. These games use points and levels together to motivate learners. Players can earn some points whenever they reach a milestone, and after they have accumulated a certain number of points, they move a level higher.

Challenges
This is where you compete - sometimes with time limits - to overcome obstacles. A challenge when fulfilled implies ‘achievement’ of some sort.
A timed crossword or jigsaw puzzle is a good example of a game format that employs challenge as a game mechanic. Memory games, Sudoku are some other examples of games that challenge learners’ recall abilities and logical thinking.

Emotions
Pretty self-explanatory, this game mechanic builds its way through human emotions. Excitement, humor, surprise, and happiness are some emotions pertinent to this game mechanic. A game like ‘spin the wheel’ where players spin a digital wheel and are posed questions based on where the needle rests, is a great way to leverage the emotion of excitement in a player.
‘Treasure hunt’ is another game format that builds on the emotion of ‘surprise’.

Goals
Goals give clarity and purpose. They represent a pre-defined milestone that lets them gauge their own progress and feel ‘accomplished’ once fulfilled. A game narrative like ‘climb the peak’ where you draw players into the setup of a valley, where they need to climb a peak as the ultimate goal, while answering contextual questions on the way, is a wonderful example of the use of this mechanic.

Leaderboards
You want your name there - on a scoreboard showing the names or scores of the leading players. Leaderboards encourage ‘competition’. You may build a leaderboard for any game using scores, badges, levels, or goals. A casino style slot machine is a great game for leaderboard display. These leaderboards could be setup manually in your classroom or through your Learning Management System.

Game mechanics are the most prominent element of your game design. To be successful, they need to be selected based on a thorough understanding of the player, the mission and human motivation.

Mood Boards

The Problem

Finding inspiration for design projects is one thing. Organizing it and turning that inspiration into a more cohesive base for creating a design that wows clients and users is an entirely different beast.

The solution? Mood boards.
Mood boards are physical or digital collages that arrange images, materials, text, and other design elements into a format that’s representative of the final design’s style. Mood boards can be used for creating brand designs, product designs, website designs, and pretty much any other type of design project.

Purpose of a Mood Board
Mood boards can serve many purposes, starting with organizing the inspiration around a project. They can be a valuable resource throughout the design project, to help keep the style and aesthetic consistent and on track with a client’s goals and expectations.
Mood boards are also an excellent way to refine a project’s style before diving into the actual design process. They’re a much lower investment than mockups and prototypes in terms of resources and time and can convey a lot about the look and feel of the final design.
Mood boards are also an excellent way to convey design ideas to clients. When a web designer says “minimalist” or “Grotesk fonts” or “realism,” a lot of clients will be completely clueless as to what that means. But show them a mood board that incorporates those things and they immediately understand and can express whether they love or hate the ideas.
Finally, mood boards can also ensure that design teams are all on the same page when working on a project together. One designer’s idea of minimalist might be a lot more maximalist than their colleague’s.

How to Create a Mood Board
There isn’t just one way to make a mood board. They come in all different formats, shapes, and styles. Some designers create them digitally while others create physical collages. For those who create mood boards digitally, there are a number of options available, from Photoshop templates to dedicated apps.

What to Include on a Mood Board
Every mood board is different, and what a designer chooses to include will vary based on the project. A brand mood board might include a lot more elements than one for a package or website design. The important thing is to include as many elements as needed to convey the look and feel of the design being created.

Here are some ideas for things to include in a mood board:

Images: These can include brand images, stock photography, product images, photos found on Instagram or other photo sharing sites, illustrations, and even things like logos.

Colors: Incorporating the design’s color palette is an important part of most mood boards and can be included as swatches or incorporated into images and other design elements.

Visual Metaphors: Visual metaphors are an important part of modern advertising and branding, and can be included if appropriate.

Words: Words that tie into the brand or message that should be conveyed can be an important part of any mood board.

Fonts: Designers should include specific fonts (or at least general font styles) into their mood boards for any design where the text will be prominent.

Textures: Any textures or patterns a design will incorporate should be included in the mood board.

Explanations: As needed, explanations for elements included in the mood board can add context and make it easier to see how all of the different parts will work together toward the end design.

Settling on a theme can bring cohesiveness to the mood board as well as to the final design based on it. The theme should be closely tied to the goals of the design or brand, though it can be abstract. For example, a kids’ clothing site might have a jungle or carnival theme, but that doesn’t mean it needs to have tigers or clowns incorporated. Instead, a mood board based on those themes could include things like natural textures or primary colors.

Collecting Mood Board Inspiration
Inspiration for a mood board can come from virtually anywhere. Designers often keep swipe files of inspiration, which is a great place to start. Otherwise, look to places like stock photo sites, design galleries, color palette sites like Coolors.co or Design Seeds, the physical environment and physical objects, typography galleries like Typewolf, and even social media (Instagram and Pinterest can be particularly ripe grounds for finding design inspiration).
When collecting inspiration for a mood board, designers should keep the goals of the finished project in mind. They should also keep in mind things like brand values and who the target user will be. These all have a significant impact on the types of inspiration collected.
For example, a website design for a corporate law firm will likely have a significantly different tone and style than one for a street fashion site aimed at teenagers. If designers don’t keep these differences in mind when they begin working on a mood board, the finished board likely won’t resonate with their client.  Not every element on the mood board has to relate directly or literally to the finished design. Finding images that evoke a feeling or general style are just as important as specific fonts, colors, and design elements.

Mood Board Formats
Mood boards can be created in physical or digital formats. There are pros and cons to either one.
Physical mood boards can help digital designers think outside the confines of a screen. These can be excellent for projects taking a lot of inspiration from the physical world. But it can also require a lot of printing and a bit more mess to create. Physical mood boards can also be harder to archive or share with clients or other team members (the best sharing option is often to take photos of them).
Digital mood boards, on the other hand, can sometimes limit a designer’s creativity, in the sense that they’re going to be using the same tools they use on a daily basis, which may mean they’re using the same mindset they always use. In some cases that won’t be a bad thing, but when trying to come up with a truly unique design, it can be a hindrance. Digital mood boards are really easy to share, though, as they can simply be exported as an image file and shared (and some programs allow sharing directly).

Mood Board Software
There are a number of software options for creating mood boards. You can use virtually any design program you’re already using (there are templates available for most of them, too). Other options include:

• Pinterest. Creating a board for each project is a great way to organize ideas found online. Boards can be made public or private (and shared with specific individuals). 
• Moodboard. Create free mood boards with no account needed. There are templates to help get started or create one from a blank design. 
• Moodzer. Moodzer is new to the scene (currently a beta app) but appears to have all the features needed to create stunning mood boards that are easy to share. 
• Adobe Spark. Adobe Spark makes it easy to create mood boards in formats that play nicely with other Adobe products. They offer plenty of flexibility for creating mood boards in various shapes and sizes, with a library of stock photos, fonts, and design elements. 
• Canva. Canva offers mood board templates and a variety of built-in fonts, design elements, and stock photos.

Mood Boards as Communication Tools
One of the biggest advantages of creating a mood board before diving into mockups and prototypes is that it’s a valuable tool for communicating with clients and other team members. When designers create mockups and prototypes first, if the client isn’t happy with the design, it can result in not only wasted time and resources but also a loss of trust if the client feels it’s totally different from what they wanted.
Creating a mood board can also prevent the dreaded “I’ll know it when I see it” syndrome with clients. Showing them a mood board gives them something to see that’s still relatively low-fi and easy to create. Designers can even create multiple mood boards if they’re entirely unsure of what the client might want. Showing clients a mood board early in the process can also mean fewer revisions to the finished designs since it can put the designer and client on the same page from the beginning of the design process. And when designers meet client expectations from the beginning (even when those expectations aren’t well articulated), the client puts more faith in the designer’s abilities.

Conclusion
Whether designers make digital or physical mood boards, they’re an important step in creating a cohesive design style for any project. Spending sufficient time on the mood board phase can result in a project that runs more smoothly.
One of the big advantages of creating mood boards is that there are no real “rules” that dictate what a mood board must include or what it must look like. This gives designers a ton of creative freedom during this phase, which may wane in later phases of design (depending on the particular project, of course). Given the advantages of mood boards and the lack of drawbacks (other than some time invested), it makes sense for designers to incorporate mood boards into any design project they work on, whether it’s a simple website refresh or a complete branding concept.

EFFECTIVE USE OF PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES FOR LEARNING AND ASSESSMENT

What is a learning objective?

A learning objective is an outcome statement that captures specifically what knowledge, skills, attitudes learners should be able to exhibit following instruction. A common misapplication of objectives is for the teacher/presenter to state what he/she is going to do (e.g., “My plan this morning is to talk about…”), rather than what the student is expected to be able to do (e.g., “After this session, you should be able to…”).

Why have learning objectives?

Creating clear learning objectives during the planning process of a unit/week/individual session serves the

following purposes:

• Helps unit planners integrate across a day/week/unit of learning.
• Serves to connect content and assessment around learning.
• Guides selection of teaching/learning activities that will best achieve objectives.
• Gives learners a clear picture of what to expect and what’s expected of them.
• Forms the basis for evaluating teacher, learner, and curriculum effectiveness

What are the key components of a learning objective?

Learning objectives should be “SMART”

• Specific
• Measurable/Observable
• Attainable for target audience within scheduled time and specified conditions
• Relevant and results-oriented
• Targeted to the learner and to the desired level of learning

How do I create a useful learning objective?

To create specific, measurable/observable, and results-oriented objectives:

• It’s helpful to finish the sentence, “After this unit/week/individual session, you should be able to…”
• Start with an observable action word that captures what the learner should be able to do.
• Avoid ill-defined terms that are open to variable interpretation (e.g., understand, learn, grasp); use instead terms that describe directly observable behaviors. 
• When necessary, specify criteria concerning expected standard of performance (e.g., “Describe a mechanism in support of your hypothesis from the organ system down to level of cells and molecules.”).

To create attainable learning objectives:

• Consider the beginning level of understanding/skill of your learners and craft your objective to move them to the next level.
• Consider and specify when appropriate the conditions under which performance will take place (e.g., “On a written exam, describe…” or “With a standardized or actual patient, demonstrate…”)
• Limit number of objectives to major learning points you would like students to walk away with.

To create objectives targeted to the audience and desired level of learning/thinking:

• Ask yourself whether you want learners to be able to: know, apply, integrate, consider the human dimension, care, or learn to learn . 
• These outcomes represent different levels/kinds of thinking.Match your action verb to the desired level.
• Match learning objective with appropriate teaching/learning strategy.

Usage of Blogs in Education

Blogs when used in Education give rise to an increase in student interest and ownership in learning by promoting creative, intuitive, associational and analogical thinking. They provide opportunities for diverse perspectives by offering a combination of solitary and social interaction thereby encouraging collaborative learning. Not only this, they encourage students reflective learning through their exposure to innovative technology aid in effective e-learning. Lastly, they enhance student learning through use of multimedia (audio, visual).

Which subjects to include and why?

The subjects that can be taught through blogs are:

1.  Programming languages.
2.  Literature
3.  Philosophy
4.  Environmental sciences (climate changes/energy conservation/global warming)
5.  History.
6.  Journalism.
7.  Alternative Medicine.
8.  Current research in any medicine (or any other such field).
9.  Innovative experiments in science.
10. How to do literature review?

Things to look out for while selecting any subject are that the subject should be exhaustive and descriptive. There could be multiple view points on the same topic. There is scope for learning through debate/discussion. There could be collaborative group work which could help in understanding the chosen topic. The topic should be reflective.

Students benefit from learning through a blog because they would get instructional tips on the subject. They would get instant feedback from the teacher as well as their peers. It is basically a knowledge management tool for their own learning and studies. The web inspires many students to take their work more seriously and to engage in a level of reflection about their work that is otherwise rare-due to public access on WWW. People in different locations get a chance to share computer screens/doc and audio transmissions as well. 

Last but not the least, an instructor can use a blog effectively because they can assess the debates taking place on the blog and thus address the misconceptions if any, that the students may have. They can cater to a number of students living at different places at the same time. They can give instant feedback to the students and watch the feedback given by the rest of the students. They can have live discussions and provide a number of resources to all the students at the same time. They can also have mentors from different institutes to offer advice on how to improve the session and thus guide the students effectively. For the students of Computing and information technology (C&IT), using the traditional methods, it can be hard to determine if the students have really understood the techniques and resources taught and that they have been able to apply them independently. Using a blog for formative assessment allowed a more supportive approach to teaching. In brief, the learning process is a social co-construction of meaning through conversion. It is primararily constructive and cooperative. When joining in conversions, individuals are required to articulate their view points and to reflect on the perspectives provided but other participants as well as their own. Collaborative discussions are primararily conversational and of course cooperative in nature with individuals contributing to the discussion. What is more significant about this combination of learning process is the level of ownership that the students feel when they are in control of the discussion.