Visual storyboarding tips for elearning

You should never start an elearning production without an approved storyboard in hand. A storyboard helps align all stakeholders to the production output expectation, quality, cost and production time. In elearning, storyboards are written in two styles. The descriptive storyboard uses text to describe the screens with only references to graphics. The visual storyboard on the other hand depicts the screens graphically showing what the final output will look like. Both styles have their own advantages. A visual storyboard will be interpreted by everyone in accordance with the screens created / shown. This post has some valuable tips that you can use for creating a great visual storyboard.

Branching scenarios and Dialogue trees

We know what scenario based learning is. Scenario based learning uses real-life situations or scenarios to explain a concept. In an elearning course, the scenarios are presented using images or videos. Branching scenarios allows learners to decide how they want the scenario to unfold. You must note here that the learner's control over the path in a Branching scenario is limited by the choices provided to them by the program - it is not truly infinite. Yet, this allows learners to experiment and discover possible outcomes from their actions at each point. Thereby, they learn favorable and unfavorable actions in a situation.

Creating elearning simulations

What is a simulation? A simulation is a system built artificially, mimicking a real-life environment and situation that allows a participant to interact with the system or alter it for the purpose of observing, learning or experiencing the changes or responses to that interaction. We build simulations for participants when they do not have access to the real-life environment or are not permitted to access it. The reasons for not gaining access to these real-life environments are usually cost, security (of the environment), safety (of the participant) and rarity. Since simulations are used for observation and learning, they find a place inside elearning courses as well.