Systemwide Human Resources

• Quick/easy to produce: less time, lower cost
• Quick/easy to update
• Most learners can read faster than the average pace of voice-over audio
• Simple way to have LMS track that information has been provided to learners

• Passive information engagement (unless offset by, or used as part of, an active engagement component, like a simulation)
  • I.e., learners passively receive the information and do not actively engage with it, which means learners are less likely to:
    • Retain information
    • Be able to apply information
• Less appeal to learners who prefer listening to reading
• More difficult to consume on mobile devices
• Text-heavy
  • Can intimidate learners (depending on organization and design), which may lower engagement
    • Explore best practices for mitigating these effects when working with large amounts of text
  • Less "real estate" for images and non-text elements (depending on organization and design)
• Reading comprehension is generally on the decline, especially in digital environments

• Quick turnaround is a priority
• eCourse is anticipated to require frequent updates
• Tracking that learners have been given information is a high-priority goal
• Resources are limited or you're strategically minimizing production time in the information-transfer area so that production time can be invested in other areas (e.g., interactives, original resources, etc.)

Actual production times may vary.

• 1-20 slides/2 weeks
• Each additional set of 25-30 slides/2 weeks

• Some learners prefer listening to reading
• Audio is often a more convenient information channel for mobile users
• This approach to slide text can:
  • Leave more slide "real estate" for visual elements
  • Make it easier for learners to find key information when revisiting the eCourses

• Longer production times due to scripting and recording of audio
• Voice-over audio costs
• More difficult to update
• Passive information engagement (unless offset by, or used as part of, an active engagement component, like a simulation)
• May invite "multi-tasking," which can lower engagement and retention

• You particularly want to cater to mobile device users and/or low vision learners
• Your audience is known to respond better to audio
• eCourse will not require frequent updates
• You want to take your audience on a "learning journey"
• You're incorporating audio into other aspects of an eCourse (e.g., videos, interactives), so it would seem odd, and may create a source of friction, for the information slides to not also have audio

Actual production times may vary.

• Voice-over audio script development: 15 slides/2 weeks
• Audio production: 2 weeks
• eCourse development: 10 slides/1 week

• Learn-by-doing ("active engagement") promotes learning and retention
• Expose learners to, and equip them to address, frequently occurring situations/challenges/mistakes/etc.
• Provide practice to hone skills/understanding/application
• Reset learner engagement clock

• May require more extensive collaboration between subject matter expert(s) and ID/development team
  • Or, may require more time for ID/development team to conduct subject matter research and learner needs assessment

• Learners need to develop/practice specific skills or learn to perform/follow specific processes
• You want to expose learners to, and equip them to address, predictable situations and variables
• You want to (more) effectively forestall common mistakes/issues

Scenario development time varies, ranging from days to weeks, depending on the number of scenarios needed, the amount of research and learner assessment left solely to the ID/development team (as opposed to being provided by SME collaborator(s)) and the amount of additional stakeholder input/review required (e.g., for legally sensitive topics, legal consultation may be necessary regarding prompts, answer choices and feedback).

Simulations differ from Scenarios in that:

• Simulations often have more advanced functionality; e.g.,
  • Learners may complete complex tasks and multi-step processes
  • Gamification may be incorporated
    • E.g., performance can be "scored" and score/progress tracked; achievements can be obtained; etc.
  • Probabilistic outcomes may be incorporated
    • I.e., simulations can be programmed to produce certain outcomes certain percentages of the time
  • Adaptive learning may be incorporated
    • I.e., a choice made in one stage may influence what the learner encounters, and can choose, in latter stages
• Simulations tend to be more progressive/iterative, with each question or task building on the last, whereas scenario questions are often more autonomous

• Learn-by-doing ("active engagement") promotes learning and retention
• Expose learners to, and equip them to address, frequently occurring situations/challenges/mistakes/etc.
• Provide practice to hone skills/understanding/application
• Better suited for skill development and behavior change
• Reset learner engagement clock

• May require more extensive collaboration between subject matter expert(s) and ID/development team
  
  • Or, may require more time for ID/development team to conduct subject matter research and learner needs assessment
• May require specialized/advanced development tools and expertise

• You want to create a more engaged learning experience — i.e., learn-by-doing
• Learners need to develop/practice skills or learn to perform specific processes
• You want to expose learners to, and equip them to address, predictable situations and variables
• You want to (more) effectively forestall common mistakes/issues

Simulation development time varies, ranging from days to weeks, depending on the nature of the simulation's interactions, the media assets needed (e.g., graphics, video, audio, etc.), the amount of research and learner assessment left solely to the ID/development team (as opposed to being provided by SME collaborator(s)) and the amount of additional stakeholder input/review required.

Simulations generally take longer than Scenarios to develop but often cover material that would otherwise be included in informational slides, thus reducing the production needs and development time in those areas.

• Expose learners to, and equip them to address, frequently occurring situations/challenges/mistakes/etc.
• Provide practice to hone skills/understanding/application
• Reset learner engagement clock

• May require more extensive collaboration between subject matter expert(s) and ID/development team
  
  • Or, may require more time for ID/development team to conduct subject matter research and learner needs assessment
• May require specialized/advanced development tools and expertise

• You want to provide an opportunity to apply information and/or practice/hone a skill
• You want to reset learner engagement clock with an activity that activates higher-order thinking better than a comprehension test

Custom Interactives can typically be developed in two to five days, depending on the nature of the interactions involved, the media assets needed (e.g., graphics, video, audio, etc.), the amount of research and learner assessment left solely to the ID/development team (as opposed to being provided by SME collaborator(s)) and the amount of additional stakeholder input/review required.

• Easy to develop: less time required; ID or other partner can often develop independently based off information content, without the need for extensive SME input or collaboration
• Reset learner engagement clock
• When deployed at the start of a training/module, as a "pre-test":
  • Help promote engagement and retention
• When deployed at the end of a training/module:
  • Help learners feel confident that they have learned/correctly understood a subject
  • Information recall aids in retention
  • Can serve as an attestation that a learner has received certain information

• (When deployed at the end of a training/module) Not the best tool for promoting or gauging retention
  • Comprehension tests gauge short-term memory more than long-term retention
    • I.e., the more accurate way to gauge long-term retention is to have a comprehension test, or a situation that requires the learned knowledge/skills be applied, weeks or months after the initial L&D intervention 
  • Repetition, purpose and frequent exposure are better tools for promoting long-term retention
    • E.g., asking a comprehension question about topic X somewhat boosts retention; a custom interactive that requires learners to apply what they've learned about topic X 10 times and/or in 10 different ways will really boost retention (among other benefits)
• Not the best indicators that learners know how to apply knowledge they've gained
  • Comprehension tests gauge recognition more than recall or application
    • I.e., recognizing a correct answer amongst multiple answer choices is easier than recalling, and/or being able to apply, a correct answer

• You want a record that learners have received certain information
• You want to boost engagement and retention by showing learners at the start of a training that they don't know/understand things as well as they think and have perhaps fallen victim to common misconceptions
• You want a low-production cost way for learners to actively recall and apply information, and have their engagement clock reset

• Develop questions and answer choices: 5 questions/1 day
• Program questions in eCourse:
  • Time may vary depending on eCourse authoring tool
  • First instance of question type: 1 day
  • Subsequent instances of question type: 3 questions/1 day

• More engaging form of passive information transmission
• Effective at establishing visual connections/metaphors/triggers/symbols/etc., which can enhance learning and retention
• Effective at illustrating real-world applicability and application of the material

• Longer production time and overall resource cost
• More difficult to update
• Requires specialized equipment, software, expertise and/or services
• Animation software/service may have limited animation styles/options
• Limited talent (i.e., "actor") options for fictional segments

• Concise and engaging bundles of information
• Content that particularly lends itself to visual storytelling
• Enhancing learner motivation
• Summarizing a large amount of text-based information in a more engaging package

Video production time varies, depending on the nature and length of the video, but for project planning purposes, we recommend anticipating one month.

• Easy to develop: specialized tools and expertise usually not required, low resource cost
• When deployed for reference purposes, supplementing another product:
  • Reduces need for learners to take detailed notes; reduces likelihood learners will miss information while taking notes
  • Allows other product to fully follow best practices (visit Pairing Text with Audio > What About Review Purposes? for more information)
  • Creating/compiling reference materials often serves to help refine talking points in the other product

When deployed as the primary means of transferring information:

• Passive information engagement (unless offset by, or used as part of, an active engagement component, like a simulation)
  • I.e., learners passively receive the information and do not actively engage with it, which means learners are less likely to:
    • Retain information
    • Be able to apply information
• Less appeal to learners who prefer listening to reading
• More difficult to consume on mobile devices
• Text-heavy
  • Can intimidate learners (depending on organization and design), which may lower engagement
    • Explore best practices for mitigating these effects when working with large amounts of text
  • Less "real estate" for images and non-text elements (depending on organization and design)
• Reading comprehension is generally on the decline, especially in digital environments

• When deployed as the primary means of transferring information:
  • Resources are limited or you're strategically minimizing production time in the information-transfer area so that production time can be invested in other areas (e.g., interactives, original resources, etc.)
  • An L&D goal can realistically be achieved by this product type and would not be significantly better achieved by another product type with a higher resource cost
• When deployed for reference purposes, supplementing another product:
  • You want to help learners retain information
  • You want to provide learners with just-in-time support
  • There may be a significant time gap between when learners initially receive information from the other product and when they may be called upon to utilize that information
  • You prefer that learners watch/listen instead of take notes
  • You want to better align product, purpose and best practices (visit Pairing Text with Audio > What About Review Purposes? for more information)

Production time will vary depending on content, scope and purpose.

Reference materials can often be produced fairly quickly, since you're typically pulling from and summarizing material you've already compiled in another product. As discussed in Pairing Text with Audio > What About Review Purposes?, you can also save time by taking the text you would've put in an audio-driven product and using it in a reference material instead.

• Graphics and text tend to be more engaging than just text
• Graphics aid in retention
• Some learning goals are more effectively achieved through graphical representations of information
  • E.g.: statistical comparisons, geographical features, distances and locations, exploded-view schematics, etc.

• Sometimes require specialized software and/or expertise

• A learning goal could be better achieved through graphical representation
• You want learners to better retain key details or data points
• Enhance the efficacy of reference materials

Production time will vary depending on content, scope, purpose, design tools and design experience/expertise.