Multimedia Learning :: E-learning Design and Development

How to Use Flash Rollover Buttons in Articulate

by david on July 27, 2010

Everyone loves rollover buttons, right? I know I do. In fact I often lose my time playing with interesting and exaggerated rollovers. Years ago, before I knew “better,” we’d have contests to see who could create the most unique, animated buttons for our e-learning courses. If you’re creating rapid e-learning in PowerPoint and Presenter, then [...]

3 Things E-learning Designers Can Learn from the Oil Spill Interactive Graphics

July 14, 2010 E-learning Examples

In the weeks since the Deepwater Horizon, news agencies have produced dozens of interactive graphics, timelines, videos and infographics covering every angle of the event. This wealth of interactives offers e-learning designers a rare opportunity to view and analyze multiple design models and approaches on a single topic. Here are three ways e-learning designers can [...]

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Creative Process: Designing a Hollywood Movie Poster

June 1, 2010 Creative E-learning

As many of you know, the Academy Awards of E-learning, aka Articulate 2010 Guru Awards, is coming up. The Guru Awards are a great opportunity for e-learning designers to showcase their best Articulate work while competing for fame and prizes. One of the biggest challenges for many e-learning designers is coming up with a visual [...]

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Articulate Jam Session – May 27 in Austin

May 26, 2010 Articulate

I’m hosting an Articulate Jam Session this Thursday in Austin, TX. What’s a jam session? Articulate Jam Sessions are an informal user group meeting designed to bring together local Articulate users for some practical tips & tricks training on all things Articulate. It’s a free event but space is limited to the first 25-30 people [...]

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Heavy Metal Makeover: 5 Design Ideas to Rock Your Learners Into Compliance

May 24, 2010 Creative E-learning

Let’s face it, no one takes compliance e-learning seriously. Slide by slide, learners glaze over the rules and regulations while unconsciously clicking the next button. The problem is that most compliance courses use the same visual and narrative voice across all their courses. That’s like using the stop sign for all roadside communication. The reality [...]

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Backing up, restoring and reinstalling GoDaddy WordPress blogs

May 3, 2010 E-learning Development

Like many of you, my GoDaddy WordPress blogs were compromised (again) this weekend. I have three servers with GoDaddy and the same one was hit each time. This prompted me to move my sites across my other two servers. There was a lot of GoDaddy chatter in Twitter this weekend. In fact, I found hundreds [...]

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(future) Rapid E-learning Designer

April 22, 2010 Family

1. Get the gear and look the part. 2. Branching and hidden slides. //

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E-learning Production Efficiencies

April 1, 2010 E-learning Development

Working for a small company has its benefits: flexible schedules, creative freedom and an opportunity to directly contribute to the company’s success. But there are also downsides. Smaller companies don’t have the kinds of budgets to throw around willy nilly like larger companies. Costs are scrutinized and every decision affects the lifeline of the organization. And [...]

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Creating Rapid E-learning Branching Scenarios

March 31, 2010 Articulate

Here’s a 6-part screencast introduction to using branching, hyperlinking, slide masters and customizing player templates to create multi-path learning paths using Articulate Presenter. The idea was inspired by a user looking to simulate loading unique content based on learner selection. Navigation icons are included for learners to return to start screen or jump over to [...]

Macbeth Motion Comic as E-learning Scenario Model

March 23, 2010 Creative E-learning

If you’re an e-learning designer looking for examples of engaging scenarios, visual storytelling and learner control all in one asynchronous course, you’re in for a real treat with this Macbeth motion comic. “Macbeth? As in Shakespeare Macbeth?” Yes, that Macbeth. Admittedly, Shakespeare knew a thing or two about writing and storytelling. But before you say, [...]

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Example of IRS E-learning Storyboard

March 21, 2010 E-learning Examples

When it comes to e-learning examples, I’m always looking for new and creative demos I can add to my collection. Sometimes I’m inspired enough to try to recreate the examples just to test my skills. Having mostly worked in corporate e-learning, I was excited to find this post by the EFF on law enforcement’s use [...]

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Learning Solutions 2010

March 17, 2010 Conferences

We’re one week away from Learning Solutions in Orlando. Not only am I presenting on visual design, assisting Patty Shank with her rapid e-learning workshop, participating in a panel event and working the booth, but it’s also the week we learn the results of the Lingos Global Giveback competition. Tom and I donated our time [...]

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Type War – Competitive Typography

February 15, 2010 Typography

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Using Improv’s Principle of Agreement to Create Better Screencasts

September 28, 2009 Screencasting

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Screenr – Screencasting Tool for Twitter

August 21, 2009 Screencasting

We released an awesome elearning tool this week. It’s called Screenr, it’s web-based, it’s completely free and the easiest screencasting tool I’ve used. Sure, because I now work for Articulate, you’re probably thinking I’m biased, and that’s fair, because I am. But I’ve also been screencasting for over ten years, produced some video training courses [...]

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3 Ways to Create Engaging E-learning Bullets

June 21, 2009 Creative E-learning

I’ve always felt one of our responsibilities as e-learning designers was to design learning in such a way that learners actually want to take our courses. Keeping our visual designs fresh and a little unpredictable is just one way we can design more enjoyable courses. Unpredictable? Yes. The more learners know what you’re going to [...]

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Behind the Typeface: CooperBlack

March 13, 2009 Multimedia Learning

I found this gem in buried in my archived bookmarks while preparing for last week’s Articulate Live ‘09 session on e-learning design. This video is at least 4 years old, but it’s still one of my favorite examples of anthropomorphism for learning. Imagine Sesame Street meets Behind the Music. Anyone looking for a creative approach [...]