This document summarizes key principles for engaging health and care staff through e-learning training. It discusses five principles: telling a story using scenarios and characters; keeping content simple by minimizing text and extraneous materials; keeping content relevant by simulating real work environments; making content personal through conversational tone and use of emotion; and prompting decision making by allowing learners to make choices and see consequences. The document provides background research supporting each principle and offers suggestions for applying the principles to make e-learning engaging rather than enraging for health and care staff. It concludes with contact information for the presenters to take questions.

1. Does your training engage or enrage
your health & care staff?
July 2016
Presenters:
Claire Lavin
(claire.lavin@learningseat.com)
1300 133 151
Marc Niemes
(marc.niemes@healthxn.com)
#niemesm or +61411467111

2. What are we talking
about today?

3. Overview
• Key principles
• Q & A

4. Claire Lavin
Product Manager and
Instructional Designer

5. 1 Tell a story
3 Keep it relevant
5 Prompt decision making
2 Keep it simple
Key principles
4 Make it personal

6. 1 Tell a story
3 Keep it relevant
5 Prompt decision making
2 Keep it simple
Key principles
4 Make it personal

7. Tell a story: The background
‘Stories function as a sense-making device.’
- Caminotti et al. 2012
‘In literary fiction, the incompleteness of the characters turns your mind to trying to
understand the minds of others.’
- Kidd et al. 2013
Storytelling in e-learning leads to ‘higher perceived levels of attention, relevance,
confidence, satisfaction, motivation.’
- Hirumi et al. 2012

8. Tell a story: Applying it
• Scenarios
• Narrative arcs
• Character viewpoints
• Multi-faceted characters
• Dialogue.

10. 1 Tell a story
3 Keep it relevant
5 Prompt decision making
2 Keep it simple
Key e-learning principles
4 Make it personal

11. Keep it simple: The background
Extraneous material ‘distracts, disrupts and seduces.’
- Harp and Mayer 1998
The coherence principle means ‘avoiding adding any material that does not support the
instructional goal.’
- Clark and Mayer 2011
‘Extraneous cognitive load … it is the delivery that is causing a problem.’
- Sweller et al 2001

12. Keep it simple: Applying it
• Minimise text
• Use uncluttered visual design
• Eliminate extraneous audio and visuals.

14. 1 Tell a story
3 Keep it relevant
5 Prompt decision making
2 Keep it simple
Key e-learning principles
4 Make it personal

15. Keep it relevant: The background
‘Learners construct their own reality or at least interpret it based upon their perceptions
and experiences, so an individual’s knowledge is a function of one’s prior experiences,
mental structures, and beliefs that are used to interpret objects and events.’
- Jonnasson, 1991
‘Learning should be situated in realistic settings; testing should be integrated with the task
and not a separate activity.’
- Merrill 2006
‘The right content is less than you think it is … and is relevant to learners.’
- Dirksen 2012

16. Keep it relevant: Applying it
• Mimic the work environment
• Create real-world situations and challenges.

19. 1 Tell a story
3 Keep it relevant
5 Prompt decision making
2 Keep it simple
Key e-learning principles
4 Make it personal

20. Make it personal: The background
‘Humans strive to make sense of presented material by applying appropriate
cognitive processes.’
- Clark et al. 2001
‘People work harder to understand material when they feel they are in
conversation with a partner.’
- Beck et al. 1996

21. Make it personal: Applying it
• Be conversational
• Use characters and facilitators
• Use emotion.

24. 1 Tell a story
3 Keep it relevant
5 Prompt decision making
2 Keep it simple
Key e-learning principles
4 Make it personal

25. Prompt decision making: The background
‘You get the best details by observing people in their actual environments.’
- Dirksen 2012
‘The learner assumes the role of an actor responding to a work realistic
assignment or challenge, which in turn responds to reflect the learner’s choices.’
- Clark 2013

26. Prompt decision making: Applying it
• A character (learner) faces a realistic decision
• Learner makes the decision
• Learners receives feedback, and sees the consequences of their decision

30. 1 Tell a story
3 Keep it relevant
5 Prompt decision making
2 Keep it simple
Recap: Key principles
4 Make it personal

31. Final Q & A
Claire Lavin
(claire.lavin@learningseat.com)
1300 133 151
Marc Niemes
(marc.niemes@healthxn.com)
#niemesm or +61 411 467 111