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 Learning Objectives | LMS/SCORM | Instructional Design Theory
 How We Increase Seat Time | Design Tools

The terminal objectives for each course:

Course A: Identify the trigger events that most apply to the learner's product or service - determine the types of changes that cause a company to need the learner's product or service.

Course B: Locate, on the actual Internet, two companies who are currently experiencing one of the trigger events identified in course A - and therefore have a high likelihood of currently needing the learner's product or service. [This is the only course with a prerequisite; course A must be done first.]

Course C: Find an appropriate initial contact person's name, telephone, and email address for a company found in course B (or for any company).

Click for the complete Learning Objectives document that includes all terminal and enabling objectives.

All courses are SCORM compliant. They link easily with all major LMSs.

High-volume corporate customers can install the courses behind their firewall.

Contact marilyn@tryability.com for more information.

Much of the e-learing and ID theory employed in the design of these courses comes from Dr. Michael Allen's practices and his book, Michael Allen's Guide to E-Learning. He is a learning expert who created Authorware and has been designing technology-based learning for over 35 years.

His basic theory - that almost 75% of learners never finish e-learning courses (that's what the current research indicates) because they are so bored with the traditional read-read-read-take a test-read-read-take another test format that they just can't bear to sit there any longer.

So: a few of his e-learning 'keys' that we have incorporated into these courses:

• Truly challenge people and don't be afraid for them to fail - that's where the real learning happens - look at video games and how failure teaches skills.
• Have learners perform complex, realistic, multi-step tasks.
• Let learners direct their own learning experience; don't make it linear.
• Give intrinsic (seeing it from the result) feedback as opposed to extrinsic ("That's right!") feedback.
• Give different types and levels of assistance - that's why we have characters in the courses who assist the learners in different ways.
• Have an interesting environment.

One learner said:

"The challenge was a bit hard but I think it was very effective for this reason."

That's exactly it! This learner successfully finished 100% of all three courses and reported he was confident about finding more good new customers on the job using our methods.

Since most people don't finish e-learning courses, a major design challenge is to find ways to change that. They definitely can't learn it if they aren't even sitting there!

Many of Dr. Allen's theories work to engage learners and make them want to continue learning. Realistic challenges, multiple levels of assistance, and yes, even failure make the learner more interested in sitting there.

Because our courses are for salespeople, we also designed the courses to work especially well for our audience. For example, most salespeople are verbal - they would prefer to hear than read - so much of the content is narrated.

We've kept the courses visually engaging and a bit surprising from time to time. And yes, we've gone for a laugh where we could!

One of the most important ways we make people more willing to sit and complete the courses is the very solid content we provide. The job aids and worksheets really make it possible for learners to use the content effectively, right away.

The courses were created using Lectora Publisher®.

Narrations were created with Flash® movies.

Movies for previews, documents etc. were created with Camtasia®.