Imparting effective induction training goes a long way in reducing employee turnover and enhancing the performance of new staff. Read this article to discover to how the LEAD Instructional Design strategy can deliver effective online induction training.
This post was first published on eLearning Industry.
I get questions all the time about work portfolios. One of the most frequent questions is “what types of courses need to be in the portfolio?”
The portfolio is your proof of skills. It shows that you have more than a resume list of skills or just education. It documents some of your projects and also shows your specific skills.
The challenge for many is that the work we do is proprietary and we can’t show what we know. That’s OK. If that’s the case, you want to create a few sample modules that demonstrate your skills and get the attention of the person reviewing your portfolio. And let’s face it, some of the project that we get stuck on at work aren’t things we want to show anyway.
Here are the five things you need to showcase in your e-learning portfolio.
Here’s a bonus tip: people are drawn to the visual design more so than they are to the instructional design. You want your portfolio to look good.
If you’re trying to figure out how to build those demos or what types to do, check out the weekly e-learning challenges. There’s a lot of variety and plenty of ideas. Any one of them would make a good module to include in your portfolio.
Do you have an e-learning portfolio? If so, what type of content do you have in yours?
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Want to learn more? Check out these articles and free resources in the community. |
Here’s a great job board for elearning, instructional design, and training jobs |
Participate in the weekly elearning challenges to sharpen your skills |
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Get your free PowerPoint templates and free graphics & stock images. |
Lots of cool elearning examples to check out and find inspiration. |
Getting Started? This elearning 101 series and the free e-books will help. |
This article gives a glimpse of the wealth that Mind Mapping brings to the field of Instructional Design.
This post was first published on eLearning Industry.
Are you an Instructional Designer looking for inspiration? Here are 5 Instructional Design books you should add to your must-read list.
The field of Instructional Design is filled with a plethora of theories and practices. Thus, educating yourself on the current thinking and foundational principles is vital to the success of your Instructional Design career. Reading up on the field is important whether you are just starting out or need to refresh your professional knowledge. Here is a list of 6 of the best Instructional Design books, as well as tips to continually expand your own knowledge base.
The goal of this book is to help both teachers and students find inspiration in the learning process. Authors Wiggins and McTIghe were driven by feedback on their first edition to expand their original work. They delve deeper into the topic, uncovering more ways for education through design to impact us all.
While this book is geared toward Power Point presentations, the principles still apply to broader use. Tips for creating effective presentations can map directly to creating effective eLearning courses. This book helps to meld time-tested storytelling techniques with modern technology to develop impactful presentations.
We have all run across an eLearning course or presentation that is confusing. While the Instructional Designer may have presented the information clearly, it just doesn’t feel intuitive. This is a common issue, and it is entirely preventable. Author Julie Dirksen walks you through the steps you need to take to present information in a helpful way. She also explains how to ensure that online learners don’t walk away and forget what they learned. Instead, her method helps them remember your teaching and apply it in real-world situations.
Instructional Design is anything but dull. However, some people associate it with flipping through endless slides of irrelevant information. Creating eLearning courses that make an impact is an art, and one that every Instructional Designer should learn. This text also comes with concrete examples of good eLearning course design. This book will help you learn by example and make eLearning courses that learners will find valuable.
Creating eLearning courses that you think are effective is great, but how well do they really work? Just assuming your Instructional Design efforts are impactful is not enough. You need to test your content and designs and figure out ways to make them even better for online learners. This book helps to guide you through the process of checking your work. You will get specific steps and checklists to make sure you are on the right path. Learning how to improve your work will go a long way to furthering your Instructional Design career.
Aside from books, there are some other tech-centered ways to broaden your knowledge base and brush up on skills. Here are few top tips to become a lifelong Instructional Design learner.
These live events are great opportunities to meet other Instructional Designers and try out new technologies. For example, eLearning authoring tools that can help you create even more immersive eLearning courses. Look online for conferences in your area or ask other eLearning professionals for recommendations on shows they’ve attended in the past.
Social media groups, blogs, and online discussions are great for remote collaborations. You can interact with Instructional Designers from around the world. Everyone has unique insights and experiences to bring to the table. If you can’t find a relevant group, then consider starting your own. Just make sure you are up to the task, as running a group typically requires a commitment of both time and energy.
There may be an Instructional Designer who is more experienced and willing to offer one-on-one support. This mentor can help you find the right eLearning career niche, create an Instructional Design portfolio, or land your first eLearning project. Ideally, you should find someone who shares similar interests or goals. For example, an eLearning professional who also has a passion for corporate eLearning and task-based training. You must also create clear guidelines so that everyone knows what to expect.
Check out these 5 books for new ideologies and theories to make your Instructional Designs even better. The tips and advice you gain will help you to strengthen your skill sets. You will also gain a fresh perspective that offers a comprehensive overview of the field. As a result, you will have the ability to create better eLearning courses and provide your clients with expert advice. So, pick up a book or two and learn all you can about the fascinating field of Instructional Design.
Bid farewell to long paragraphs that lead to cognitive overload. In this article, I'll share 8 innovative ways to use content chunking to avoid cognitive overload and improve comprehension.
This post was first published on eLearning Industry.
eLearning storyboards are a handy way to outline every aspect of your eLearning course. But does your eLearning budget affect the quality of your visual road map?
This post was first published on eLearning Industry.
Do Subject Matter Experts have a place on the learning and design team, and do Instructional Designers need to be SMEs to be successful?
This post was first published on eLearning Industry.
An Instructional Design portfolio can prove to be a great marketing tool if you know how to showcase your talents effectively. Here are 10 important tips for creating an impressive Instructional Design portfolio.
This post was first published on eLearning Industry.
Are you looking for an effective problem-centered strategy for your next eLearning course? In this article, I'll share everything you need to know about how to apply Merrill's Principles of Instruction in eLearning.
This post was first published on eLearning Industry.
New, prettier job aids for action mapping are now available for free download. They include:
The job aids are designed to accompany my new book, which is now available on Kindle. The print version will be available in mid-October through Amazon in many countries.
Finally, there are still some seats available in the scenario design course that starts October 4. In four weeks of sessions, you’ll apply action mapping and scenario design to a project from your job.
There are online sessions for time zones in the Americas as well as Europe, the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa. Check them out!
