Post on 12-Apr-2017
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Instructional Charactersfor eLearning
CHEAP AND EASY
Sue Weller, CPLP, SPHRLearning Solutions Manager, Caveo Learning
August 18, 2015
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Have ever createda course like this?Have ever createda course like this?
Have had to takea course like this?Have had to takea course like this?
Know someonewho’s created acourse like this?
Know someonewho’s created acourse like this?
How Many of You…
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Makes You Wanna Go…
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Discuss examples
Provide tips and tricks on theeffective usage
Define instructional characters
Today’s Agenda
Create some characters
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Please Think…
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Poll: Have You Used InstructionalCharacters in YOUR courses?
A. Yes, I’ve use them a lot
B. Yes, but my experience is limited
C. No, not yet, but I can’t wait to get started
D. Huh? What?
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All About Good First Impressions
You have
minutes to impress
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The Problem With Current Design
Notengaging
Notrelevant
Don’tallow forpractice
Boring
Boring
Boring Information isn’t important.
It’s the application of information by the learner that’s important.
Information isn’t important.
It’s the application of information by the learner that’s important.
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Why Don’t We Do Better?
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Why Don’t We Do Better?
My courses aretechnical!
My courses aretechnical!
I don’t havethe time!
I don’t havethe time!
You needfancy
software forthat!
You needfancy
software forthat!
My learnersdon’t havethe time!
My learnersdon’t havethe time!
My company’s culturedoesn’t go for that!
My company’s culturedoesn’t go for that!
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Why Don’t We Do Better?
My courses aretechnical!
My courses aretechnical!
I don’t havethe time!
I don’t havethe time!
You needfancy
software forthat!
You needfancy
software forthat!
My learnersdon’t havethe time!
My learnersdon’t havethe time!
My company’s culturedoesn’t go for that!
My company’s culturedoesn’t go for that!
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Why Don’t We Do Better?
My courses aretechnical!
My courses aretechnical!
I don’t havethe time!
I don’t havethe time!
You needfancy
software forthat!
You needfancy
software forthat!
My learnersdon’t havethe time!
My learnersdon’t havethe time!
My company’s culturedoesn’t go for that!
My company’s culturedoesn’t go for that!
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InstructionalCharacters
Scenarios
Key Definitions
Branching
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“Instructional agents” who provide instructionaladvice and guidance to support the learning
“Instructional agents” who provide instructionaladvice and guidance to support the learning
Various types
Various purposes
They are designed into the course
Instructional Characters
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A story or situation used to engage the learnerA story or situation used to engage the learner
A good story usesinstructional characters
Situational simulations orlearning experiences
Allow the learner tomake decisions
Scenarios
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A series of decision pointsA series of decision points
Learn the basics first, then trybranching
Can be complicated with aseries of decision points thatbuild off each other
Can involve multiple pathsthe learner can take
Branching
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Talking head
Cartoon or avatar
Stick figure
Static image
Types of Instructional Characters
Video
Blah,blah,blah
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Creating Your Characters
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Creating Your Characters
• Think: What resonates with my learners?
• Age (How old should my character be? What resonateswith my learners?)
• Sex (Male? Female?)
• Race (Watch that your character aren’t always white. Ifmultiple, does the “mentor” always have to be white andthe “trainee” or “less experienced” are people of color?)
• Background (Is my character a newbie? A manager? Amentor?
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Creating Dialogue
• Realistic
• Make it a dialogue
• People talk in contractions• “Hi, I’m Sue”• “Hi, I am Sue”
• People start sentences with “so”, “and” “but”
• Most importantly, read your dialogue out loud
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Five Ways To Use Your Characters
• To Open Your Course
• As a Guide or Mentor Throughout the Course
• To Conduct Wrap-Ups (Module/Units or Course)
• In a Quiz
• To Explain a Specific Concept
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Five Ways To Use Your Characters
• To Open Your Course
• As a Guide or Mentor Throughout the Course
• To Conduct Wrap-Ups (Module/Units or Course)
• In a Quiz
• To Explain a Specific Concept
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Example #1: GIS (Global Information Systems)
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Five Ways To Use Your Characters
• To Open Your Course
• As a Guide or Mentor Throughout the Course
• To Conduct Wrap-Ups (Module/Units or Course)
• In a Quiz
• To Explain a Specific Concept
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Example #3: Data Quality Course
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Five Ways To Use Your Characters
• To Open Your Course
• As a Guide or Mentor Throughout the Course
• To Conduct Wrap-Ups (Module/Units or Course)
• In a Quiz
• To Explain a Specific Concept
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Example #2: Project Management
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Five Ways To Use Your Characters
• To Open Your Course
• As a Guide or Mentor Throughout the Course
• To Conduct Wrap-Ups (Module/Units or Course)
• In a Quiz
• To Explain a Specific Concept
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Five Ways To Use Your Characters
• To Open Your Course
• As a Guide or Mentor Throughout the Course
• To Conduct Wrap-Ups (Module/Units or Course)
• In a Quiz
• To Explain a Specific Concept
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Example #4: Healthcare Practitioner Training
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Scenario Activity #1 – Let’s Design!
You have been tasked with creating a one-hour CBT for Cable Plus, aprovider of digital cable and home entertainment. This course will focuson improving customer service skills including making the customer feelvalued, handling objections and professionally avoiding cancellations.
Directions:1. Work with your partner to create a character.2. Create the opening scenario/introduction of your character. Describe
what’s going on and what will your character say/do.3. Be prepared to share with the rest of the group.
Some things to think about: What’s your character’s name? What is his or her physical characteristics? (age, sex, race) What’s his or her background/experience? Why will this character help your course? How do you plan to use the character in your course? What emotions do you want your learners to have when interacting with your
character?
Really Exciting Customer Service Course
Meet Sandra
Hi, I’m Sandra.
I’m one of the customers you couldbe speaking with and, as such, Iwant it to be a good experience foreveryone.
Throughout this course, I’ll be Helping to critique your
interactions Providing some additional tips
and tricks
Module 1: Making a Good FirstImpression
Really Exciting Customer Service Course
Tip #1Module 1: Making a Good FirstImpression
Tip #1:
If you smile when yougreat the customer, wecan hear the smile inyour voice.
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Which Picture Draws You In? - A
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Which Picture Draws You In? - B
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Which Picture Draws You In?
A
B
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Which Picture Draws You In? - A
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Which Picture Draws You In? - B
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Which Picture Draws You In?
A
B
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Scenario Activity #2 – Let’s Design!
Spend 30 seconds with your partner and decide whose course you’ll usefor this activity
Create the opening scenario/introduction of your character. Describe what’sgoing on and what will your character say/do.
Using what you’ve learned in today’s session, along with the ideas thatyou’ve heard from others, create a character that you could use in yourcourse.
Some things to think about: What’s your character’s name? What is his or her physical characteristics? (age, sex, race) What’s his or her background/experience? Why will this character help your course? How do you plan to use the character in your course? What emotions do you want your learners to have when interacting with your
character?
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Five ConsiderationsWhen Creating Your Characters
Five ConsiderationsWhen Creating Your Characters
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• How old are they?• What gender is most prevalent?• What ethnic groups are covered?• What characters will resonate with
them?
KNOWyour audience!
KNOWyour audience!
Consideration #1
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• What situations might theyrealistically be in?
• What decisions might they realisticallyneed to make?
• What are some other plausibleoptions?
• What are the consequences of gettingsomething right versus wrong?
Create REALISTIC ScenariosCreate REALISTIC Scenarios
Consideration #2
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• How does your target audience speak?• What would they actually say?• How informal can you make the
dialogue?• How believable is it?
Create REALISTIC dialogueCreate REALISTIC dialogue
Consideration #3
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• Are you providing realistic, meaningfuland helpful feedback?
• Are you giving the learner more thanone opportunity?
• Is there a more complicated branchingoption (which then means making sureall options are realistic)?
Provide FEEDBACKProvide FEEDBACK
Consideration #4
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• How can you use a little creativity,ingenuity or perhaps even humor withinyour course?
• What does the learner expect to see andhow can you change it up a bit?
Consideration #5
Be UNEXPECTEDBe UNEXPECTED
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• www.elearningindustry.com
• http://blogs.articulate.com/rapid-elearning/
• http://blog.cathy-moore.com/
• Books:• Design for How People Learn: Julie Dirksen• Book: Made to Stick: Chip Heath/Dan Heath• Book: Superb eLearning Using Low-cost
Scenarios: Benjamin Pitman, Ph.D.
Resources
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Thank you!
Sue WellerLearning Solutions ManagerCaveo Learningsweller@caveo.com312-651-4000 x3057
Sue WellerLearning Solutions ManagerCaveo Learningsweller@caveo.com312-651-4000 x3057
Contact thePresenter
Contact thePresenter
Questions?????
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