Cirrus Blog Interactivity first - e-learning content second…

What is the current landscape for e-learning content design?Delivery devices are getting smaller.Consumers are looking for shorter 'bite-size' e-learning; and the boundaries between formal and informal learning are blurring.Our clients are now using multiple devices, and many want mobile and iPad-ready e-learning content - but not just presented as knowledge. Today's training courses should be engaging and make learning fun.How does all this impact our learning design? In a recent project at Cirrus e-learning we changed our approach to design in two ways:For starters we designed the interactions first, with much of the content delivered as feedback. We could then include the extra content that was needed to enable learners to interact successfully. Using this strategy, designers automatically focus on the learning activities, instead of presenting content in a more didactic, 'instruction-type' mode, where the learner is passive.Secondly, we developed the prototype interactions first, before starting the storyboard. This is quite a departure from the standard Instructional Design process where development does not start until the storyboards have been approved by the client.This new approach can have several advantages; it gives the client a chance to experience the look and feel of a learning activity at an early stage. Furthermore, it shifts the focus from a static storyboard to a dynamic working prototype, which can be more representative of the end-product. But we're not forgetting the storyboard - that comes next. The storyboard serves to document the interactivity that was achieved by using a more creative, dynamic and experimental approach - in this case, prototyping. The result? Engaged and involved learners. Engaged and involved stakeholders.