Learning Pool's Head of Content Development, Deborah Limb, shares her tips on creating engaging learning and how to increase learner uptake.

1. Creative instructional design

2. Thanks to...
Saf Fuller – Worcestershire County Council
“I am always looking for creative ways to present the less exciting but necessary material. I would
really like for some lateral thinking on ways to demonstrate a point or show information. Also, if
others use different (free) software to create (such as creating flash animations) then I would be
interested in hearing about those too.”
Sandra Walsh - Linc Cymru Housing Association
“Sometimes it’s difficult to get creative! How do you let the creative juices flow and what can be
done to improve creativity and inspiration….”
Russ Nelson – Newcastle City Council
“Not quite an e-learning question but some basic tutorial in how to use flash would be very
useful. The course Wigan did on a fun Halloween e-learning was exceptional and it appears it was
all done using flash.”

4. Creative instructional design
1. No more dull content
2. Action mapping
3. Designing activities

5. No more dull content
Skills
Knowledge
Attitudes

6. Action Mapping
http://blog.cathy-moore.com/

7. Actions not learning objectives
What do these
people need to do?
A. Put out the fire
B. Describe the
techniques used to
extinguish a fire
http://blog.cathy-moore.com/

8. Action Mapping Example
STEP 1: Identify the business goal
Good: Staff to store customer data securely
Avoid: Know the requirements of the Data
Protection Act

9. Action Mapping Steps
STEP 2: Identify what people need to do to reach that
goal
To store data safely:
• Only store essential data
• Don’t share passwords
• Shred confidential information that is no longer needed
These statements describe actions, not knowledge

10. Action Mapping Steps
STEP 3: Design activities that help people
practise each behaviour/action
• A drag and drop activity regarding which types of
documents should be shredded vs put in general waste
• An extended scenario exploring the journey to work of
a manager on a train with their laptop & their mobile
phone...things go wrong leading to dire consequences
Avoid fact checks and trivia games. These don’t happen in the real
world.

11. Action Mapping Steps
STEP 4: Identify what people (really, really)
need to know
Identify the information that the learners must
have to complete each practice activity.
What the data protection
The detail of the Data
policy says about creating
strong passwords (YES) Protection Act (NO)

12. Designing
Activities

14. Collaborate
1. Initially abandon the Authoring Tool & your
PC
2. Arrange a brainstorming session with your
Subject Matter Experts and maybe a small
group of learners
3. Consider a ‘Content Jam’ to speed things up
– a practical session to progress developing
the content & supporting assets

15. The Gravy Bone Effect
+ =

16. Think about your learners
• What will engage, interest and motivate
them/what’s in it for them?
• What do they know already?
• Do they all have the same ‘starting point’?
• Talk to some learners – get their help in
designing the content

17. Take a step back

18. Consider a range of
instructional strategies
Consider alternatives to simply ‘chunking’ the raw
content:
• Storytelling - using a single scenario throughout
• Question driven approach - to direct learner to
the content they need
• Character driven approach – to provide different
viewpoints
• Photo story – put pictures before words for a
different learner experience

19. Mix it up!

20. Use a mix of media
• What untapped skills do colleagues have to
help out?
• Take some photos/get others to take photos
• Produce a piece of video
• Use audio clips/sound effects
• Consider allocating some budget to
commission visuals/icons

21. Learning Venues
Campfires Watering Caves
holes

22. Think about a blended approach
• What activities can learners do outside of the
e-learning?
• Make use of the tools in the DLE - discussion
forums, webinars, live chat
• Engage SMEs to tutor/deliver on-line
support, create podcasts

23. Tools to help you...
See Useful software/gadgets York Learning Live – 10
forum on learningpool.com October
• http://goanimate.com/
Stuart Gilbert – Blackpool
• http://elearningbrothers.co
m/ Lee Cooper – Wigan
• http://www.aviary.com/ Geek & Gadgets table
• http://pixlr.com/
• http://www.effectgenerator
.com/