5 ways to make linear navigation more interesting

Yay! I get to click the Next button! 5 ways to make linear navigation more interesting

Sometimes, we can’t get what we want for our learners. We don’t have the budget for that. We don’t have the time for that.

As a result, you might be stuck with this: Unfortunately, the path through a linear course can feel like this...

Conveyor-belt courses let learners click Next without thinking. But isn’t thinking the whole point?

If you have to create a Next-button course, you can use the button to your advantage. You can encourage learners to: 1. Pause at the Next button. 2. Think. 3. Want to click the button. So the path through the course becomes more like...

In most linear courses, a slide contains a complete idea. It tells you everything you need to know. You click Next simply out of obedience. OK, click the Next button now.

Instead of finishing every thought on a slide, what if we made learners feel like...

5 ways to make learners want to click Next The following techniques work because they make a slide incomplete. They keep the learner a little off balance. 1. Ask a question 2. Use an incomplete sentence 3. Suggest a sequence; build a list 4. Compare & contrast 5. Create a dilemma

1. Ask a question End the slide with a question. What kinds of questions work well?

Questions that work well Make learners gauge their existing knowledge: How do most identity thieves get their information? Ask them to predict what’s next: What could happen to Stella’s data?

More questions that work Ask for advice: (A worker sees a colleague install what could be a keylogging device.) What should she do? Set up a mystery that will unfold through several slides: (A client discovers her identity was stolen.) Was it the firm’s fault?

Questions to avoid Questions that the next slide won’t answer: Do you know someone whose identity has been stolen? Questions no one cares about: How many times per hour is someone’s identity stolen? You could end every slide with a question, but...

...that would get annoying fast. So here’s another technique: 2. Use an incomplete sentence. End the slide with the beginning of an interesting sentence. Sarah opened the attached file and discovered... You might think that shredding the document is good enough, but... 3 more tips to go!

3. Suggest a sequence; build a list This is easy to combine with other techniques, like the incomplete sentence: First, the spear phisher researches his victim online. Then... You could also use this technique to build a graphic.

4. Compare & contrast Follow one slide with a slide that contains contrasting information. Do this in a series so the learner recognizes the pattern and tries to complete it. For an example, see http://www.slideshare.net/jclarey/meetcharlene

5. Create a dilemma Someone just bought Antarctica with my credit card! What can I do?

1. Ask a question 2. Use an incomplete sentence 3. Suggest a sequence; build a list 4. Compare & contrast 5. Create a dilemma What else should go on this list? Share your ideas and get more tips here: http://blog.cathy-moore.com This slideshow: All photos ©iStockPhoto

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5 ways to make linear navigation more interesting

by Cathy Moore on Feb 28, 2008

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