If you get the feeling of déjà vu when you sit down to revise outdated materials, you aren’t alone. Companies spend countless hours and budgeted dollars keeping their existing content up to date, whether they are refreshing product information manuals, policy and procedure manuals, training materials, website content, or the like. In fact, studies have …
“Can I take this training course on my iPad? Smartphone? Tablet?” Many instructional designers have heard that question lately and wondered exactly how to get their course content to fit into a mobile learning environment. Instructional designers (IDs) need to know which tools are fast, friendly, and provide cross-platform functionality and support. Stop and consider …
When writing documentation, marketing content, or training materials, keeping the audience in mind is an important step in producing effective content. Sometimes, you may be asked to limit your writing to a specific reading level so it’s accessible to a broad range of users. You can monitor the reading level of a document by turning …
Successful projects start with detailed planning. Before you even begin the design phase for your instructor-led training (ILT) course or elearning module, you should have a clear understanding of the project, including its requirements, purpose, audience, deadline, and schedule. Building this solid foundation will help keep you organized and on-track. What Are the Requirements? A …
Have you ever had to sit through a class where the teacher had one mode: monotony? There weren’t any engaging activities or riveting class discussions, and you watched the second hand on the clock while doodling instead of taking notes. As an elearning developer, you have the opportunity to make up for those torturous courses …
Each project has unique requirements, so we tailor our approach to ensure that the work effort meets the goals of the project in the way best suited for its success. Among the techniques that we’ve developed to make sure the structure of a project contributes to its timely and successful completion is to include review …
When developing elearning content, it’s important to remember that a variety of people will be taking the courses you create. To ensure that everyone has successful learning experiences, there are some best practices to follow for developing accessible elearning. Design Elements With any elearning authoring tool, you can customize the appearance of font style and …
Are you planning a technical writing project? As a technical writer or technical writing manager, creating a documentation plan is essential to the success of your next project. A documentation plan is an overview of the entire project from the perspective of a technical writer. This plan is drafted in the early stages of the …
Need an instructional designer? Here are some steps that will help identify your specific instructional designer needs. Analyze the situation. Chances are, you’ve noticed a gap in your team’s instructional design abilities or just don’t have enough resources to get the job done. You’ve identified that your project needs augmentation and that there’s a specialized …
How do you find the best candidates to train your team? The instructional design field attracts a wide variety of individuals with diverse training and instructional development experience. Choosing the right instructional designer can be a challenging process as you consider the needs of your organization while reviewing stacks of resumes and work samples. You …