Right from the start, I will say the challenge is on the eye of the programmer (kind of like the idiom that says “Beauty is in the eye of he beholder”). But, why is that? Let’s explore a few different factors that may let us easily decide whether to use stock photos on our eLearning module. Client requirements First and foremost, it is very important to clarify at the beginning of the project, before programming the eLearning module, if the client is okay with us using stock

When you are starting a new eLearning project in Storyline, it is always best practice to first take care of several elements that you know won’t change easily or at all. These elements could be: Player style Player buttons Master slides (for content, quizzes and feedback) Slide size Font style Working on setting the ground for all these at the beginning of an eLearning project will make your life easier and will certainly speed up your process and ensure consistency througho

When programming an exciting, eLearning module audio is always a key component. Without audio eLearning modules often feel very bland and have that dreaded PowerPoint type of feel. To make our modules more dynamic we use several audio files in various areas to create a unique and interactive feel to our eLearning modules. Types of audio usage in eLearning modules: Voice over Narration Instruction Character Activities Background music Sound effects Interactive object feedback

Normally, I balk at having conversations in the gym. Definitely, while doing anything that smacks of cardio. In part, because I really love the few minutes of uninterrupted TV time I get. But mostly, it’s because I’ve never been especially adept at talking and running (at least not without sounding like my lungs are seconds from bursting from my chest). However, today I had a delightful impromptu conversation with a member. A chat that began before I actually got on the equip

As we welcome 2019, here at Pathways Training and eLearning, here is a message from our Managing Partner, Kurt Tiltack: #trainingandeLearning #eLearningfortablets #innovation #videobasedlearning #learningtechnology #mobiledesign #traininganddevelopment #Corporateeducation #TrainingandeLearning #eLearningOntario #topTorontoeLearningcompany #Torontotrainingvendor #elearningmodules #NorthAmericaneLearningvendor #CanadianeLeaningcompany #elearningmodule #Torontoelearningvendor #P

Whenever you are setting up development on any software that requires functionality to be developed it is critical to outline what those functions are. This is particularly important when you are defining requirements for an eLearning, gamification or mLearning project. Typically, this is done in a list called the Functionality Requirements or Systems Requirements depending on the context of what is being developed. The reason it is critical is because it outlines everything

One of the things that I have always found challenging, ever since I started working in the eLearning field, is to gather feedback for an eLearning module. I have seen different ways in which this feedback is provided to the programmers by the client, like an Excel spreadsheet, Word documents, even long emails detailing all the changes. Ultimately, what’s important for the programmer is to receive clear instructions as to what the issue is and how it needs to be solved, or ho

When developing and updating eLearning it will go through what is know as review cycles, a review cycle is a cycle in which an eLearning course goes from the developer to the client for review, the client then reviews the eLearning and records the updates they want the developer to make in the form of review comments, this is then sent to the developer who makes the updates. This method of using review cycles is an effective way to update your eLearning and digital training,

While not the most popular tool available in Articulate Storyline 360, one of my favourites is using the slider, when developing an eLearning course. My preferred use of this little widget is using it as way to dynamically deliver information, (usually manifesting as steps or a process flow). To find this tool, look under the Insert tab from the Ribbon > then choose Controls > then select the slider of your preference. With your slider selected you can begin to setup your sli

Designing your digital training and eLearning to be responsive is something that can greatly benefit your organisation and future-proof your training through the use of technology. The idea behind responsive learning is to create training content and eLearning that can be used seamlessly on a variety of devices. By designing your eLearning to be used on a variety of devices will increase the amount of learners your content is accessible to and can greatly improve the overall

Lately we have had a lot of clients who are new to eLearning. For many of us who have been in the training industry for the last 5-10 years, we have been accustomed to most people using eLearning as the predominant method of training and it always comes as a bit of a surprise to us to encounter an organization that has not used eLearning at all (due to various reasons such as not having an internal Learning Management System (LMS) or for other reasons such as employees prefe

As an eLearning developer who does work for a wide variety of clients, you can imagine that I am often forced to use a variety of authoring tools, despite Storyline 360 being the industry standard. While I definitely use Storyline 360 the most authoring tools such as Adobe Captivate and Lectora are a close 2nd and 3rd. Transitioning to a new elearning authoring tool for the first time is never a smooth process but here are a 3 simple tips that have allowed me to effectively j

eLearning and digital training and can be a valuable element for your learning and development strategy. Being able to create a digital course and have it taken by multiple learners simultaneously is a powerful tool for distributing training to your learners. Using eLearning means you can deliver high quality training to your learners that can be taken anywhere and at a time that suites them. Below are some of the benefits to implementing eLearning as part of your learning an

All eLearning modules have several different factors that make them successful and appealing to the eye of the learners. From instructional design, to graphic design and programming, there are a lot of different little things that contribute to a very “sexy” eLearning module. One of the things, in graphic design, that can make an eLearning module less static and more dynamic, or easy on the eyes, is the font. You may encounter in your work as an eLearning developer, that you

Yesterday Pathways Training and eLearning and Canadian Management Centre (CMC), hosted a 1 hour webinar entitled “Raising Your Learning and Development Game: Making the Quantum Leap into the Future of Learning Solutions”. The theme of the webinar was on how organizations can make a quantum leap and use digital mediums such as: virtual reality eLearning, micro-learning, training videos and eLearning to take an organizations’ learning strategy to the next level. Here are some s

My 1.5-year-old baby jumped in excitement and clapped her hands in glee! What was the excitement all about? She had just learnt a new nursery rhyme, Baa Baa Black Sheep! She was always thrilled to learn new things-to scribble with a crayon, to learn dance steps, to learn words and to learn new ways of being naughty! I looked at her and being a Learning and Development professional, wistfully thought of the learners in my classroom training, "I wish each one of my students was

More often than not, I have been tasked to convert eLearning modules to newer versions of different authoring tools. In fact, if you have repeat clients (like in our case at Pathways), you may find yourself in this situation very often, in which clients ask you to update modules to newer versions of the eLearning software in order to gain the functionality of the new software. But what happens when, for some reason, you must downgrade an eLearning module to an older version o

Lately, it’s becoming a trend in my job, that interactions designed for eLearning modules are becoming more and more challenging each day, especially, since it was announced that browsers will stop supporting Flash altogether, which means that all those cool interactions or animations, that were originally developed in Flash, will have to be developed either directly in Storyline or in HTML5. I admit that jumping into HTML5 development can be even more challenging an time con

eLearning is trending everywhere, universities, businesses, corporations, etc. Irrespective of their scale, they are constantly implementing an eLearning model to their business. They are all starting to realize how impactful and rewarding it can really be. It helps them become better and stand out from the competition, simply because it provides their people with outstanding opportunities to learn and improve their skills. As people learn and grow, they feel more satisfied w

There are different ways to bring knowledge to users, like interactive modules, videos, infographics, etc., and they should be used in conjunction and not as isolated products, to improve the learning experience on the users. Let’s say you have to put together a product for a client, a video, an interactive module or an infographic. After days, nights and weeks of graphic design, architecture, programming, testing and fixing, you have the final files to deliver to your client