Designing Digitally
02/20/2018
If you are developing eLearning content for your employees or students, there is something you need to pay more attention to and that is the importance of storyboarding. All best eLearning courses on the internet have one thing in common: they integrate effective storyboarding in the development phase of designing the course. In order for the course to be a success, you need to view the storyboard as the primary foundation of your eLearning course. It should include visual, text and audio elements to entice the viewer and to display your ideas more simply and colorfully. Here are a couple of tips and tricks you should follow if you want to make an effective eLearning storyboard that works:
Storyboards are typically character driven, meaning the storyline is propelled using the said characters. To have an impact on viewers, ensure the characters show emotion that will intrigue people and help create an interest in the story as well.
You can use different tools to change the expression of the character and move around their arms and legs. Since body language is crucial when expressing ideas and emotions, ensure your character is not stiff as a board.
You can reach a whole new dimension of storyboarding by layering objects and cropping characters, scenes and items. By using the cropping and layering feature, you can create the illusion of a middle-ground, forefront and background. This prevents your storyboard from looking flat or two dimensional.
Storyboarding is effective way of planning out the overall design of your course, at least from an artistic perspective. If your organization uses a specific color scheme or look for training materials, ensure the same theme is incorporated to your storyboard to achieve consistency. The key here is to pay attention to design and ensure it matches the theme of the other training materials.
Trying to maintain consistency is an important skill in order to make your storyboard look congruent and fluent. You can maintain consistency by following these guidelines:
There is no rocket science when it comes to creating consistency. All you have to do is make sure there is a feeling of continuity from cell to cell so that the viewer does not get distracted by contrasting scenes or is pulled out from the scenery.
One of the most prominent advantages of storyboarding is that it offers individuals an opportunity to include their SMEs in the development process and make them feel more involved in the project. Sit down with them for a chat and get their feedback before you start creating the foundation of the actual course and instructional design.
Consider adding tests and quizzes. However, you will need to sit down and plan where you intend on adding knowledge checks throughout the course. Storyboarding is an effective way to assess your learners and find out how much they have accomplished so far.
Use visuals to make the storyboard more engaging for the audience. Visuals are necessary for illustrating the interference of the course and helping your learners understand what you are imagining throughout the course.
If you want your eLearning course to be a success, you will need to be realistic about your expectations and consider your timeline. This will help you decide what you actually have time for and focus on your priorities.
These are just a couple of tips and tricks you should keep in mind if you are planning on making an eLearning storyboard that is effective.
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